


Vices & Virtues

by YaminoBossBitch



Series: White Lines, Gold Teeth [1]
Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: 1970s AU, Abduction, Abuse, Blood, Car Accident, Child Abuse, Crime, Divorce, Drug Use, Explosives, FBI, Gore, Graphic depiction of drug use, Guns, Homophobia, Homophobic Slurs, Human AU, Implied disabling injuries, Internalized Biphobia, Internalized Homophobia, Kidnapping, M/M, Mafia AU, Masturbation, Miami, Minor Character Death, Misogynistic Slurs, Oral Sex, Period Typical Homophobia, Period-typical Biphobia, Violence, Vomit, Whis is tougher than he looks, conversion therapy, established Beerus/whis, homoerotic fighting, homophobic violence, implied major character death, implied off-screen sex, kakavege
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2020-11-24 19:56:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 52,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20913242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YaminoBossBitch/pseuds/YaminoBossBitch
Summary: Vegeta is perfectly content helping Beerus run his drug empire in Miami, 1974. But when some hired muscle by the name of Goku wants to join the team, things turn upside down quickly. And somewhere between the police raids and shootouts, something new begins to develop.





	1. Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CW: drugs, violence, guns, child abuse, internalized homophobia, period-typical homophobia, police, implied off-screen sex, please let me know if you need any more warnings 
> 
> Beerus needs Vegeta to take back some product that has been seized by the police but he’s not going alone, some new guy called Goku is going with him. This is going to be a disaster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome, readers, to probably the weirdest thing I have ever written. I’m not usually an AU person, and this was originally conceived as a businessman/corporate AU but then I listened to Lana del Rey and one thing lead to another. Also this is the first thing I’ve written and shared publicly in years so RIP me.

Miami was hot and humid. Vegeta never liked the humidity, he hated the way it made his hand sweaty where it clenched the briefcase. But somehow, this strange, neon, tropical city had become his home.

He looked bored, but he wasn’t. Actually, the adrenaline was still trembling through his veins, his knuckles beginning to bruise as a sign of a job well done. But carrying a briefcase full of cash could be tricky work. He didn’t want any small-time crooks to get any ideas, and he certainly didn’t want any cops to get any ideas. So, as long as he looked bored and wore a suit, people would assume he was carrying a suitcase full of boring paperwork and not give him a second glance.

He pressed the buzzer for the building.

“Destroyer Industries, how may I help you?” A female voice said.

“It’s Vegeta.” He answered flatly.

“Come on in,” She said. He heard the door unlatch and he pushed it open. He took the elevator to the top floor, to the offices of Destroyer Industries.

Well, if Destroyer Industries actually existed.

It was a front, a way for Beerus to track his business and launder his earnings in a way that the police wouldn’t catch on to. There was no Destroyer Industries. There was only the mafia.

He entered into the office waiting room.

“Is he in?” He asked Bulma, the secretary. She was typing at her typewriter and did not look up to him.

“Yes, but he’s in a meeting.” She said.

“With Whis?”

“Uh-huh,”

“Ugh. Have him call me when he finishes.” He said. As he turned to walk away, he heard Bulma say:

“Which one?”

“Whoever finishes first.” He smirked.

“Well, when you see Beerus, tell him his wife called.”

“Why do I have to tell him? That’s your job!”

“Because I’m tired of being the messenger today, and I am especially tired of lying to his wife for him.” She said.

“Hmph. Fine. But you owe me.” He grumbled.

“Hey, you had your chance.” She smirked. She was referring to the one date they had, years ago. They had a nice dinner together, took a walk on the beach, then they went back to hers for the night. They didn’t go out again, but they had been friends ever since. Maybe it wasn’t very proper, but it was the ‘70s. Times were changing.

The door opened. Whis was still buttoning his shirt as he walked out.

“Y-yes, very good, Whis, we’ll pick this discussion back up tomorrow,” Beerus said, in a loud and awkward manner that suggested that he was attempting to feign a conversation. Vegeta rolled his eyes. He didn’t understand why Beerus even bothered. He seemed to think no one knew what he and Whis did behind closed doors, that it was a deep secret entrusted to few. It wasn’t. Everyone knew, from the secretary to the loyal lifelong gangsters, the dealers, even the hired muscle usually caught on within the first couple days. Most of them didn’t dare say anything to either of their faces about it. “Ah, Vegeta, you’re here.”

“Yes, I handled the payment arrangement.” He said.

“Very good. Step into my office.” He stepped past Whis, who was smiling like the cat who got the cream. He closed the door behind him as Beerus sat at his desk and put his feet up. Vegeta slid the briefcase across. Beerus smirked and popped it open. He took out the stacks and began flipping through them, counting each dollar as it sped past his thumb.

“$80,000.” Vegeta confirmed, though he knew Beerus would count it anyway.

“And they gave it willingly?”

“It took some persuading.” Vegeta rubbed his bloody knuckles.

“Hm. Too bad. I never meant for you to have to get your hands dirty. Still, I know you can handle yourself. Can’t you?”

“Hmph. Your wife called.”

“Ugh,” Beerus sighed exaggeratedly. “Send her some flowers for me, will you? That usually gets her off my back for a few days.” He handed Vegeta a $20 bill from one of the stacks.

“Fine.” He grumbled. Beerus’ intercom buzzed.

“Yes, what is it?” He said.

“A Mr. Goku here to see you.” Bulma’s voice came through, more velvety and lush than usual. She was flirting.

“Ah, good, send him in.”

“I’ll be on my way, then.” Vegeta said as he stood.

“No, stay here. I have something to discuss with both of you.” Beerus said. Vegeta raised an eyebrow. He didn’t know who this Goku was. The door opened and he entered. A tall man, muscular, but with a goofy grin on his face.

“Oh, hello, Mr. Beerus, sir.” He said.

“Yes, come in,” the man sat at a chair in front of Beerus’ desk. “Vegeta, meet Goku. Goku, this is Vegeta.”

“Hiya! Nice to meet you!” Goku beamed. Vegeta stared at him, then looked back to Beerus.

“What is this about?” He growled.

“Goku has done a few odd jobs for me, and proven himself to be quite useful in the past. I’m considering hiring him on for a more permanent position, but I’ll need to know how much he can handle before I can make a final decision. I have a job, one that’s going to be very dangerous and very difficult. I’ll need you to be at your best, Vegeta, and Goku, if worse comes to it, I’ll need you to be at his best or even better.” Beerus said. Vegeta wrinkled his nose.

“So you need me to babysit the new blood? What is this job, anyhow?” He asked.

“The Frieza Force has taken custody of about 28 kilos of supply. I can’t afford a loss like that, and I certainly can’t afford for them to be able to trace it back to me.” Beerus explained.

“Th-the Frieza Force?” Vegeta choked. He felt his throat go dry. His heart was racing. A flood of awful memories pounded in his brain, threatening to break through the mental dam he built to keep them all in.

“I know your history with them, Vegeta. That’s why I can’t and won’t risk sending you alone. Goku here doesn’t have a reason to hide from them, his record is completely clean. The two of you are going to need to work together on this.”

“And you can’t go yourself?” Vegeta barked. Goku looked surprised at him.

“I would, but Whis and I have reservations at that steakhouse uptown. It’s a fancy place, and when he gets a couple of red wines and some good steak in him, he gets...” Beerus trailed off as he seemed to remember Goku was in the room. “He and I have some important things to discuss.”

“Right. How convenient.”

“Don’t blow me off, here, Vegeta. I’m counting on you.”

“I’ll do it. But if I end up in trouble because of your rookie—“

“I’ll pay your bail, or your funeral fees, whichever is necessary,” Beerus waved his hand flippantly. “You know what to do. Have the situation handled by the time my evening with Whis is over.”

“So, sometime tomorrow morning?” Vegeta said. Beerus tapped his nose and winked.

Vegeta felt heated and angry as he climbed into his car. Goku sat in the passengers seat, looking out the windows.

“Wow, my first real job, this is amazing. I can’t wait! This is going to be awesome!”

“There is nothing ‘awesome’ about this. We have to break into a police station and somehow smuggle out 60 pounds of cocaine without being noticed.” Vegeta grumbled.

“Aw, come on, we can totally do this. You’re one of the best in the city.” He said.

“Who told you that?”

“The tall guy, uh, Whis?”

“Whis told you that I was one of the best in the city?”

“Yeah! Well, what he said was ‘Despite the fact that he has all the personality of a wet paper towel, Vegeta is one of the best in the city.’ Something like that.” Goku said. Vegeta clenched his fists.

‘_That bastard_,’

They pulled into the parking lot of the police station. Vegeta studied the entrance and surrounding area.

“So, you know about the Frieza Force? Beerus made it sound like you had some sort of history with them.”

“I know them well enough to know that you don’t want to give them any reason to suspect you. We’ll need to find a back way in and be quiet about it.” They observed the police station in silence for a moment. Vegeta closed his eyes and thought very hard.

“It’ll most likely be on the first basement level, down the main hall, take a left, then a right at the end. It usually takes about 48 hours before they get it to a lab for analysis, but it could be sooner. We need to have this handled by then.”

“How do you know so much? Did you used to be a cop?”

“There’s a side door nearer to the evidence room, but it only opens from the inside,” he turned to Goku, blatantly ignoring his questions. “Listen very carefully, rookie, this is very important. No one in that station must see me.”

“Got it.”

“You will need to be dressed up nice. No one ever questions a man in a suit looking like he is on important business. At least I hope they don’t. Just walk like you are busy, go straight to the door, and when the coast is clear, let me in. I’ll be hidden nearby. Don’t speak to anyone, don’t draw any attention to yourself, and for the love of god, don’t let anyone see your face.”

“Okay, yeah, I can do that!” Goku nodded excitedly. Vegeta scowled.

“We’re stealing drugs from the police. Quit acting like this is a trip to Disney World.” He snarled. Goku looked confused for a moment, then nodded.

“Oh yeah, I wanted to ask. I thought most of the cops in this city were paid off. How come these guys are getting involved?”

“You must be new here. The Frieza Force is a special sect of the force that supposedly specializes in drug crime prevention. It’s a lie, they use their power and influence to shakedown innocent citizens, they steal drugs and plant them on civilians to get their quotas up while not actually taking down the big time criminals so they have a constant supply. But I don’t know what they would want with 28 kilos. Frieza must be after something bigger than usual.”

“Frieza?”

“He heads the Frieza Force. The Chief of Police is his father, so he can basically get away with anything he wants.”

“You were a cop, weren’t you?” Goku asked, eyes glittering with wonder. Vegeta’s hands clenched around the steering wheel.

“Stop asking stupid questions! Let’s just go get ready for this.”

Vegeta had done a lot of crazy and illegal things since joining Beerus’ family, but nothing so crazy and so illegal as breaking into a police station to steal his boss’ drugs. He took deep breaths as he loaded his guns.

Frieza couldn’t hurt him anymore.

That was what he told himself, but he knew it wasn’t true. Frieza could hurt him, and if he had the opportunity to do so, there was no question that he would take it.

‘_This rookie had better be good_.’

It was later in the evening, now. Most of the force had gone home by now. Vegeta wasn’t sure what he had expected, but Goku dressed up in a business suit with a tie looked surprisingly handsome. Vegeta was worried that maybe this was a mistake, Goku would look too attractive and people would notice him. He said nothing about this out loud.

“You remember where to go?” He asked.

“Yeah! I go in, then straight ahead to the stairwell, down two flights, right?” Goku confirmed. Vegeta nodded. “Then I go straight down the big hallway, take the first right, then go left at the end.”

“Take the first left, then right at the end, you idiot!” Vegeta snapped.

“Ah, man, I thought I had it.” Goku grumbled. Vegeta sighed heavily.

“Why did Beerus do this to me?”

“Okay, first left, then right. I can remember that. Then, there will be a door at the end of that hallway that only opens from the inside. When no one is around, I’ll open the door, where you’ll be waiting at the bottom of that staircase.” He pointed to where the stairs began, barely visible from the sidewalk.

“That’s right. No talking, no eye contact, act natural. Do not give them any reason to find you suspicious.”

“Okay. I guess I should get going, then. I’ll see you on the inside!” He climbed out of the car and walked toward the building. Vegeta waited a couple minutes and checked that no one was around as he grabbed the duffel bags. He moved quickly across the lot and down the stairs, where he made sure his body was completely in the shadows. Then, he waited.

And waited.

And waited.

He checked his watch. It had been almost 15 minutes. What was taking that idiot so long? Vegeta swallowed hard. Had he been caught? Was he being interrogated now? Would he give him up?

He heard footsteps approaching and held his breath. The door opened, and out walked an officer. Vegeta held his breath and didn’t move as the man walked by, up the stairs, and disappeared into the lot. He exhaled.

‘_That was too close, where the hell is he?_’ He wondered.

Only a couple minutes later, the door opened again. This time, a head poked out through the door. Goku looked around, and grinned when he saw Vegeta.

“Hey!” He whispered.

“What the hell took you so long?” Vegeta hissed.

“Sorry! These guys wanted to talk to me.”

“What guys? What did they want? What did you tell them?”

“Huh? Nothing! They were officers, I think, but they didn’t seem suspicious or anything. We were just shooting the shit.”

“Shooting the shit? I told you not to talk anyone!” He snapped.

“Yeah, I know, but red guy complimented my suit, and I thought it would be more suspicious if I didn’t say anything and acted all rude. Then they wanted to talk about fashion and suits, I dunno, that kind of stuff.”

“Red guy? Who were the other people with him?”

“I didn’t catch anyone’s name, but there was a tall guy with blue skin, a short guy with four eyes, the guy with red hair, oh, and the big purple guy with horns.”

“Dammit! What’s the Ginyu Force doing here? This isn’t good.”

“Who are they?”

“They’re a special squad, like the Frieza Force. They work for his father, but they also work under Frieza as well. They’re the ones he calls when he had a problem he needs to make disappear. They don’t ask questions. They’ll just kill whoever they’re asked to, or destroy evidence, or intimidate people. Whatever they have to do.”

“Why does it matter that they’re here, though? This is where they work, isn’t it?”

“Not at this hour. They know we’re coming. Maybe not us, but they know Beerus wouldn’t let that much supply just slip away. They’re waiting for us.”

“Oh. That’s bad.”

“Yes. Bad. We need to be fast, and alert. Let’s go.”

They stepped quickly down the hall. Vegeta found the door.

“Keep lookout.” He said as he pulled his lock pick from his pocket. Goku looked around for any signs of trouble, but Vegeta had successfully unlocked the door within a minute. They walked in. Goku looked around wide eyed.

“This place is pretty big.”

“Narcotics are kept over here.” Vegeta said and walked the aisles. Goku followed.

“Seriously, it’s really cool that you know this stuff. Was your dad a cop? Or did you—“

“Here it is.” Vegeta stood in front of a locker with a label on it that read “Frieza 7/12/74,” which was the date the drugs had been taken, just last night. The locker was locked with a spinning dial.

“Can you open it?”

“Yes, it will take a minute.” Vegeta said. He listened carefully to the clicking of the dial as he began to spin it slowly. Then, the sound of the door swinging open, and of voices speaking.

“...was surprisingly easy,” said one voice, a theatrical tone on every word, slurring together as if they all held weight.

“Doesn’t surprise me one bit, another voice, deeper and gruffer than the first. “Those fools can’t see what’s happening right in front of their faces. With Frieza’s big plan, we’ll be on top, soon.”

“Yes, and it’s about time, too. Work has been so steady and stagnant lately, I’m getting tired of scaring the convenience store owners around here.”

Vegeta gripped Goku’s sleeve and pulled him close. He whispered so softly Goku could barely hear him right beside him.

“Those are two of Frieza’s right-hand men. The pretty boy is Zarbon, and the big one is Dodoria. They cannot know I’m here.” Vegeta’s voice shook slightly. Goku peaked through a space in the shelves to see them. They were filtering through the drawers.

“I’ll distract them.” Goku said. He stepped out from behind the shelves.

“Who are you?” Dodoria demanded as Goku came into view.

“I am so lost! Can one of you officers tell me where the bathroom is?”

“You wound up in here looking for the restroom?” Zarbon asked, voice thick with disbelief.

“This room is locked at all times. How did you get in?” Dodoria said.

“It wasn’t locked when I opened it. Is this place off limits?” Goku asked. Vegeta was impressed at his ability to play dumb. He was beginning to wonder how much of Goku was real at all, and how much was an act.

“It’s the evidence room.” Zarbon said.

“Oh man, really? Wow I really got lost. I’m so sorry, officers, I would never have come in here if I had known!” He said. Zarbon looked to Dodoria.

“It seems we’ll have to have a chat with some of the cadets about the importance of locking up.” He said.

“Hmph. The bathroom is down the hall, hang a left, and then another left.” Dodoria said.

“Uh, I don’t suppose either of you fine officers would be up for helping me find my way, would you? See, I fell on my head as a kid, and ever since then, I’ve had a little trouble with directions. Doc says they’re probably related.” Goku said. Vegeta clicked the last number into place. He didn’t dare lift the handle yet so as not to draw attention to himself with the sound. Dodoria slammed the drawer shut.

“We’re done in here, anyway. We’ll show you, but you better not come back this way, you understand? It could cause serious problems for us if you get caught here again.”

“Absolutely, I won’t!” Goku said. They left the room together. Vegeta exhaled once the door closed. He opened the locker and began to pull out the bricks. He inspected the first couple. They were still sealed and appeared to be untampered. He sighed with relief and began quickly packing them into the duffel bags.

He had over half of it packed when he heard the soft click of the door. By the time he looked up, he was too late.

BANG!

The burning pain through his chest shattered his body. Vegeta collapsed to the floor, screaming in agony. He looked up, his vision blurred from pain, but he could clearly see his attacker.

Frieza.

“I must say, Vegeta, of all the disappointments I’ve faced in my lifetime, your betrayal still stings the most,” he said. His tone was calm, but with an edge to it. He bent down and picked up one of the bricks. He smelled the plastic and grinned. “Good stuff,” then, he stomped hard on Vegeta’s chest. Vegeta screamed out. “Do you have any idea how many problems you’ve caused? How much you’ve humiliated me? Do you know how much cleaning up I have to do every time you cause trouble? I’ve been lenient, Vegeta. Too lenient for too long, but you’ve gone too far this time!” He stomped again and again, seeming to enjoy hearing Vegeta scream.

“Stop—“ he managed to breathe.

“You want me to stop? Is that it? I gave you everything, I put a roof over your head, and food on your plate, I gave you all the tools you needed to live and this is how you repay me? Do you know how many others would be willing to take in some mafia reject’s crack baby? No one wanted you, I took you under my wing because I saw potential in you, and you betrayed me! You used everything I had taught you and given you against me!” Vegeta coughed hard. His whole body was burning. He took a jagged breath to speak.

“Don’t—act—so—sentimental,” he wheezed. “You—never—cared—“

“You could have been lieutenant by now. You could have had everything.”

“I’d rather—die—a crook—than—live—as—a cop—“

“Ungrateful brat. You’ll get your wish, then.” He aimed his pistol at Vegeta’s face. Vegeta took a breath, waiting for his life to end. Then, in a blur, Frieza was tackled to the ground. Goku had him on the floor and they wrestled over his gun. Goku managed to overpower him and used the hilt of his gun to knock him out. Then, he scrambled over to Vegeta and scooped him up.

“Vegeta, are you okay?” He asked frantically.

“Get—the coke—“ Vegeta said. He was coughing more, fluid filling his lungs. Blood.

“Wh-what? I need to get you to a hospital or something! I can’t—“

“Don’t be—stupid—if—we—don’t—get it—then this—was all—for—nothing—“ Goku looked from Vegeta to the bags and back. He set Vegeta down and quickly began packing the rest of the bricks.

“Those guys, Zarbon and Dodoria, I’m so sorry, Vegeta, they must have said something. They took me to the bathroom and I was waiting for them to leave but every time I looked they were there. They were waiting for me to come out, I knew they were suspicious. I had to knock them out, and I went straight here, but Frieza—“ Goku swallowed hard. Vegeta felt his head getting fuzzy. He didn’t have long. He was going to die.

“He raised me,” Vegeta forced the words out so they sounded clear enough to understand. “My father was a gangster—one of the best in his time. Frieza raided our home. My father was shot and died on the scene. I was five years old. Frieza took me in. Not out of kindness. He wanted me for two reasons.”

“Two?” Goku looked at him as he continued packing.

“It was good PR. He looked like a good—agh—good cop. Good publicity. He also wanted someone to help with his schemes. No one suspected a child of tampering with evidence. As soon as I was old enough, I was enrolled in the police academy and had to learn to be a cop.”

“I knew it.” Goku breathed.

“He was a monster. He did horrible things. He let even worse things happen to me. He didn’t care about me. No matter what I did, he treated me like a slave. I wanted out. Beerus—gave—me a way,” Vegeta coughed more, blood splattering on the floor beside him. “But Frieza can’t let go of a grudge. He’s been chasing me down ever since. He knows he doesn’t have the manpower to take on Beerus, but he’ll try anyway. He’ll keep trying until one of us is dead.”

“You’re going to be okay. I’m gonna get you out of here and you will be fine.” Goku said. He had a seriousness in his tone that Vegeta hadn’t heard before. He wasn’t suggesting, he was demanding, his words ringing clear like an unquestionable truth. Vegeta smiled.

“You’re a naïve idiot.” He said. Goku laughed.

“Yeah, maybe I am,” he zipped the last duffel bag shut. He slipped the straps of four bags over his shoulders, and lifted Vegeta off the ground, carrying him in his arms. “Let’s go.”

“Wh-what are you doing? Don’t—carry me—like this!”

“What? But you’re hurt, there’s no way you can walk on your own.”

“B-but, this is...” Vegeta felt his face heating.

“What?” Goku stared, apparently not understanding why Vegeta was embarrassed to be carried bridal-style.

“Never mind, just—just make this quick—“ He grumbled.

Moving quickly, however, was very difficult now for Goku, having the weight of 28 kilos plus Vegeta slowing him down. He stepped as quickly as he could through the hall. The way was clear, Vegeta thought for a split second that Goku was right, they were going to make it.

They opened the door and nearly walked into the Ginyu Force, all with their pistols aimed at them.

“Hands in the air!” Ginyu barked.

“Go—to hell—Ginyu—“ Vegeta wheezed weakly.

“Really, Vegeta. We all had such high hopes for you. Frieza’s been heartbroken since you left.” Ginyu said.

“Yes, I’m sure—he cries—all the—time,” Vegeta said.

“I’m not going to let you hurt him,” Goku said suddenly. Everyone looked at him in surprise, Vegeta included.

“Who’s your friend, Vegeta?” The small one, whose badge read “Guldo” said.

“Just—forget it—rookie—there’s—nothing—we—can—do—“ Vegeta panted. He closed his eyes. He was going to die. He knew that for certain. They’d probably kill Goku, too. If they didn’t, he’d be arrested, interrogated, and tortured until he was deemed useless, then dumped in a maximum security prison. There was a chance they would trace the cocaine back to Beerus somehow, but he had time to escape to Cuba. Maybe.

Goku set Vegeta down against the door. He took off the duffel bags one at a time, throwing them in a pile. He stepped up to the Ginyu Force and raised his fists.

“Is he serious?” Burter laughed.

“We have guns, you idiot!” Said Jeice.

‘_What the hell is he thinking?_’ Vegeta wondered faintly. He had lost so much blood. He was trembling and felt weak. Breathing hurt. He didn’t have long.

Before he realized what happened, Goku had struck. He was moving quickly as he shoved and slammed the officers, wrestling guns from their grasps. It seemed impossible even as it happened right before Vegeta’s eyes, but Goku was fist-fighting the entire, armed Ginyu Force, and he was winning.

Soon, all five of them were down, with Ginyu himself falling last. Goku was panting and sweaty, staring down at his opponents as if daring them to move again. Vegeta was shaking hard. He gripped the door handle and pushed himself up to standing. He was woozy but managed to step forward. Slowly, he got closer to where they lay in a heap, alive but unconscious.

“Vegeta, you shouldn’t try to walk,” Goku said.

“Get the bags—we have—to get out of here—” Vegeta panted. Goku sighed and turned to gather the duffel bags. Vegeta stared down at the Ginyu Force. All the years of humiliation they put him through. All the things they did. All the things they made him do. Something surged through Vegeta then, he didn’t know if it was rage or adrenaline, or just the knowledge that he was about to die anyway and had nothing to lose, but whatever it was, he suddenly had his gun drawn and aimed at Ginyu’s face.

“Vegeta, no!” He could hear Goku cry. It seemed distant.

“Why shouldn’t I?” He growled. “After all they’ve done—after everything—why shouldn’t I?” He was shaking so violently he couldn’t hold his gun straight.

“I know they hurt you. I’m sorry, Vegeta, but please just think about this. They’re cops. If you kill a cop the whole force will be looking for you. Please, put your gun down.” Goku said. Vegeta knew he was right. Cops didn’t care about anyone but their own. If he killed one, they would chase him down. He’d have to leave town. Yet, he still couldn’t bear to lower his gun.

“Maybe it’d be worth it.” He said.

“No, Vegeta, it wouldn’t. Believe m—“ Goku’s words cut off, prompting Vegeta to turn around quickly. Frieza was there, with a black eye, holding a gun to Goku’s head.

“Oh, by all means, Vegeta, give me an excuse.” He said menacingly. Vegeta cocked his pistol and aimed it squarely at Ginyu. Frieza, in turn, cocked his pistol and pressed it flush against Goku’s temple.

“You shoot him, I’ll shoot Ginyu.”

“You shoot Ginyu, I’ll shoot both of you.”

“Hmph. Then we’re at a standstill.”

“This isn’t some old Western movie, Vegeta. You’ll only be able to stay until backup arrives.”

“You never called backup—You don’t want some—cadet—asking questions—do you?”

“They’ll never believe you.”

“Then you won’t mind telling me—why you seized 28 kilos? Big busts aren’t—usually—your game—Not this big.” Frieza laughed.

“Glad to see you haven’t forgotten anything I’ve taught you. Don’t worry, I’m not interested in taking down your beloved boss. I just needed his fine, Columbian powder. It’s the purest on the market, which means there’s more to condense.”

“Condense? You’re making crack? Why—would you want—to do that?”

“I should think that’s fairly obvious. Find a struggling neighborhood, sell a cheaper, more addictive alternative to coke, then make a database of names, faces, places of work, and home addresses of our customers. More crackheads on the street means more arrests to make, and I’ll get a promotion out of the deal.”

“You’re despicable.” Vegeta hissed. Frieza laughed again.

“That’s certainly rich, coming from you.”

“That won’t work.” Goku said. Frieza looked at him.

“And what would you know about it?” He sneered. Goku looked at Vegeta meaningfully. Vegeta didn’t understand.

“It needs to be pure, right? So you can make a lot. This stuff isn’t pure.”

“What? Of course it is! I know Beerus, he would never put out an inferior product, he prides himself on the finest.”

“It’s not. Look, it’s a long story, but this isn’t good stuff. I can show you.”

“Show me?”

“Let me grab a kilo for you. I can show you, if you look at it closely, you’ll see what I’m talking about.” Goku said. He looked at Vegeta again. Vegeta could barely see him.

“Very well, but you had better not waste my time.” Frieza said. He did not pull his gun away and kept it aimed on Goku the whole time. Goku kept his hands visible as he slowly squatted down, and unzipped a duffel bag. He grabbed one of the packages, a perfect rectangle wrapped in shiny plastic. He stood, cautiously, holding the brick high into the air.

“See, like this!” SMACK! Goku moved almost too quickly to see, smacking Frieza across the face with the brick, which made it break open and spray Frieza’s eyes with powder. Vegeta had barely begun to process what just happened when Goku picked up the bags, ran at him, and scooped him up over his shoulder and bolted.

Vegeta felt himself being dumped into the car, then the heavy hits of bags falling on top of him. He heard the engine turn over. Over the course of the ride, he must have been falling in and out of consciousness. There were sirens and the car lurched. Gun shots. Silence.

“Vegeta!” His eyes shot open. “Oh, thank god. Listen, I lost the police. I need to get you to a hospital.”

“No hospital—“ Vegeta choked weakly.

“But, you’ve lost a lot of blood,“

“The office—“

“What? Beerus isn’t there.”

“Bulma—can help—“

“It’s almost midnight.”

“She’ll—be—there—“ Goku frowned, but nodded. “How—far—away—“

“Not too far. Just hang on, okay?” Vegeta was out again but woke as he was lifted up the stairs. They could hear Bulma’s voice distantly. It sounded like she was in an argument with someone.

“What—no—absolutely not—I never—EXCUSE ME?” Her voice became louder as they got closer. As they opened the door, she screamed into the receiver: “FOR THE LAST TIME, LADY, I AM NOT SLEEPING WITH YOUR HUSBAND!”

“Bulma,” Goku whispered. She looked up and was very startled by the sight of them.

“Shelly, I have to go—no—NO—I HAVE TO GO, GOODBYE!” She slammed the phone down and hurried over to them. “Oh, god, what happened?”

“What—do you—think—happened—“ Vegeta wheezed.

“Oh, shut up. How long ago was he shot?”

“Um, it’s been a while. Maybe a half hour?”

“Damn, that’s not good. Lay him on the desk,” She said. They cleared the desk and lay him on it. “Go into Beerus’ office. There will be a bottle of whisky behind his desk and some plastic wrap in the third drawer, bring them both here.” She told Goku. He nodded and went to do so. Bulma began unbuttoning Vegeta’s shirt.

“Just—like—old—times—huh—“ Vegeta smirked.

“A smart ass even when you’re bleeding out,” she said. She pulled his clothes open. Goku came back with the whisky and plastic. Bulma took the bottle from him and opened the lid. “This is going to hurt.” She warned. Goku grabbed Vegeta’s hand. Vegeta wanted to protest, but as the alcohol began to burn his wound, he squeezed hard and gritted his teeth, trying not to scream or pass out. “Shh, I know, I know,” Bulma said. “Help me sit him up.” Goku slid a hand under Vegeta and helped him up. Vegeta grunted in pain. Goku grabbed his hand.

“You’re gonna be okay,” he whispered. Vegeta looked at him. His vision was fading but somehow it was so easy to focus on Goku’s face. Bulma wrapped the plastic wrap around his wound.

“Can you breathe a little better now?” She asked. He nodded weakly. She knelt down to her desk and took a first aid kit from the drawer. She began to wrap gauze around his shoulder.

“How do you know so much about this, Bulma?” Goku asked. She laughed.

“When you work for someone like Beerus, knowing how to patch up a bullet hole is something you pick up,” She said. She finished wrapping Vegeta, and Goku helped him lay back down again. Bulma gave him the whisky to help with the pain. She collapsed into a chair and exhaled heavily. “It’s not a permanent solution, but Beerus will have his personal doctor come take a look at him tomorrow.” Goku sat in a waiting chair.

“Good. Thank god. I thought—I was so worried he wasn’t going to make it.”

“I’ve had worse.” Vegeta murmured. He could breathe more easily, but his voice was weak from exhaustion and pain.

“You big liar, no you haven’t. I guess we are pretty lucky that the bullet cleared you, though. Last time I had to dig a bullet out of you was way too disgusting.”

“Listen, thank you for everything, Bulma. You should go home and get some rest.” Said Goku. She looked surprised.

“Me? You’re the one who went on the big adventure today.”

“I’m fine. I think I’m still too shaken up to sleep anyway. Besides the police are still looking for us, it’s probably safer that you’re not here in case they find us. I’ll stay with him to make sure he’s okay.”

“I guess when you put it that way...okay. Just, take good care of him. My number is in the Rolodex,” She said. “I’ll try to see if I can get him something for the pain.”

Goku stayed beside him all night. He held Vegeta’s hand as he whimpered and groaned in pain.

“How are you doing?” He asked around 3 AM.

“It hurts like a son of a bitch,” Vegeta grunted.

“I know. Bulma’s going to try to get you something. Just keep drinking the whisky, it’s the best we have right now.”

“Why are you still here?”

“To make sure you’re okay.” Goku said.

“I meant why do you care? Your job was never to take care of me. I messed up, it was my own mistake that got me shot. Your job was to help me get the coke out and that’s it.” Goku looked down for a moment.

“It just didn’t seem right. After what you told me about Frieza, all the horrible things he put you through, I couldn’t let anything happen to you.”

“I don’t need you to feel sorry for me.”

“I don’t. I think you’re really brave. You’d have to be to get away from all that. I admire that.” Vegeta looked away. They were silent for a time.

“I’m going to try to sleep.” He said.

A few hours later, the door opened and Beerus and Whis walked in together, hand-in-hand, both grinning as they talked. When they saw Vegeta lying bloodied on the desk, their smiles fell instantly. Beerus dropped Whis’ hand like it was too hot and they both hurried over.

“Christ, Vegeta, what happened?” Beerus asked.

“Frieza.” Vegeta said.

“Damn. He caught you?”

“Not enough that we’re in prison, but enough that he knows we took the stuff.” He gestured toward the duffel bags.

“Is that the—you brought it here? I told you never bring drugs into the office, never bring anything illegal whatsoever into this office! If the cops have a problem with the way I conduct my business, this is the first place they’re going to want to search.”

“It wasn’t his fault, Mr. Beerus,” Goku said. “I brought the bags in here. It was an emergency, he was bleeding a lot and the cops were after us and so I abandoned the car. He said he didn’t want to go to the hospital so I brought him here. If I had left the bags, the cops probably would have found them and all of this would have been for nothing.”

“Hmph, fine. It’s fine. They didn’t come here looking, so that’s fine. I’ll have an associate pick them up. You got all 28 kilos?”

“27,” Vegeta answered weakly. “One was used to hit Frieza in the face.” Beerus cracked a smirk, then burst out laughing.

“Well that serves the bastard right! Excellent work!”

“I’ll call Beerus’ doctor to take a look at you today, Vegeta.” Whis offered. Beerus tucked a stack of cash into Vegeta’s pocket and handed another to Goku.

“I’ll be sure to call you again next time I need assistance.” He said. Goku’s face lit up.

“You mean it?”

The door opened and Bulma entered, looking exhausted and slightly disheveled. She tossed a bottle of pills at Vegeta, which bounced off his stomach and onto the desk.

“Antibiotics so you don’t get an infection,” she said. She set a small black case on the desk. “Morphine for the pain,” she turned and suddenly pointed an accusatory finger at Beerus. “And you! Divorce your poor wife already. I’m taking today off.” With that, she walked out.

“Divorce my wife?” Beerus echoed.


	2. Hooked on a Feeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CW: Internalized homophobia, police, guns, period-typical homophobia, graphic depictions of drug use, implied off-screen sex, kidnapping 
> 
> The Frieza Force is getting more aggressive in their effort to catch Vegeta. Reckless, even. But even the biggest fires burn out eventually. Also, Vegeta takes a pill.

Vegeta was instructed to take it easy by Beerus’ doctor. Taking it easy wasn’t something he was ever all that good at but he did his best. During his time off, he couldn’t stop thinking about Goku. How his whole demeanor shifted into that of a more serious man. The furrow of his brow. The warmth of his hand.

He didn’t want to think about it. He wanted to forget the whole, humiliating affair. Yet something kept pulling him back. How he held him. How he protected him.

The thought should have disgusted him. He was a grown man, a strong one, one who had been a criminal his entire life. He shouldn’t have needed protecting. But it didn’t. The thought made him feel warm. He didn’t like it. Vegeta started to push the feelings down, tucking them away like a bad memory.

After a few weeks of rest, his shoulder was mostly healed. Before he had the chance to call Beerus and tell him he was ready for work, he received a call from Bulma.

“Hey, Vegeta, you weren’t planning on coming in to the office today, were you?” She said. Her voice sounded strained.

“What’s going on?”

“Frieza’s here,” She said. Vegeta felt his heart drop. “They’re tearing the office apart looking for evidence. They keep asking me if I have any addresses on file and—hey, HEY, don’t you dare mess with that! I just filed those! Dammit, they’re messing everything up!”

“I’m on my way.”

“Like hell you are! You stay put until you get the okay. I just finished patching you up, I don’t want to have to do that again.”

“But, Bulma—“

“I have to go, just don’t go anywhere. I’ll see you.” She hung up.

Vegeta sat back against his couch. He felt a knot in his throat. He knew Frieza wouldn’t give up, but this was a bold move. Almost reckless. There was a reason cops didn’t move on Beerus. They were paid not to. By doing this, Frieza was practically betraying the rest of the police force. Vegeta was worried about Bulma. Beerus was cautious about keeping the office as evidence-free as possible, but that wouldn’t stop Frieza from interrogating her, and by interrogating, what was really meant was torturing. Vegeta had seen what Frieza was capable of. He had participated in it himself.

There was nothing to do but to wait. Bulma was right, if the Frieza Force arrested him, it would cause even more problems. All he could do was sit at home and wait for a call. It felt like an eternity. He couldn’t eat or focus on anything. He just sat and waited, staring at the phone. He gave a furious earful to an innocent man who had dialed his number by mistake. Finally, hours later, he got a call.

“Vegeta, we’re gonna need you to come in.” Beerus sounded exhausted.

Vegeta knew what to expect, but it was still an unpleasant sight to walk in to. The office had been torn apart. All the file drawers had been pulled out and dumped on the floor, papers everywhere. Several of the chairs had been slashed open and had a significant amount of stuffing pulled out. Beerus’ desk chair was broken beyond repair.

“Bulma, is she—“

“I’m fine,” Bulma interrupted him. She was crouched behind her desk, attempting to fix a drawer. Vegeta breathed a soft sigh of relief.

“Bulma managed to convince them that she really didn’t know anything.” Beerus said.

“It’s broken,” she tossed the drawer aside in defeat and stood. “All of it! All of this furniture is going to need to be replaced.”

“I’ll take care of it, Bulma. Whis can handle it. He likes decorating.”

“It’s not about whether you can take care of it, it’s just plain unnecessary! They didn’t need to break the furniture for any reason.”

“Where’s the rookie?” Vegeta asked. There was silence for a moment.

“I tried to call him, but he’s not picking up.” Bulma said.

“He’s fine. Probably.” Beerus said. He didn’t sound certain. Vegeta huffed.

“Frieza’s on a rampage. He’s going to keep hunting until he takes me down.” He said.

“It’s not over, either,” Whis said as he walked in. “Frieza has frozen my bank account. I was told my assets will not be accessible for an indefinite period of time while my employer is under investigation. I suspect the same is true for you, Bulma, Vegeta, and even you, Mr. Beerus, at least, your domestic accounts.”

“Damn,” Beerus grumbled. “That bastard is going way too far. Vegeta, you worked for him, what’s next? Stakeouts? Bugs?”

“No bugs, he’s too paranoid about them backfiring on him. If I know Frieza, the next thing he’ll do is go for our homes and families. You may want to send Shelly out of town for a few days.”

“Oh, she is not going to like this one bit.” Beerus sighed.

“They’ll be watching everything, our homes, this office, they’ll be following our cars, anything they can do to try to catch us in the act. What we should do—“

“Hey! Wow, what happened in here?” Vegeta whipped around to see Goku walking in. His heart leapt. All those inexplicable feelings he had been burying suddenly rose up at once. He realized he was smiling and quickly forced it all back.

“Where in the hell have you been?” Bulma demanded sharply. Goku flinched back in surprise.

“At the gym. Why, what’s going on?”

“We got raided, you idiot! The Frieza Force came and tore this place apart. They’re looking for us.” Vegeta said. Goku frowned.

“Oh, man, really? Is everyone okay?”

“Psychically, we’re fine. Financially, we’re a little screwed.” Bulma explained. They filled him in on what was happening. He didn’t look nearly as worried as Vegeta thought he should have.

“Wow, that’s pretty messed up. What do we do?” He asked. All eyes were on Beerus. He kicked at the overturned rug.

“We lay low. I’ll get my lawyer on this. In the mean time, none of you do anything illegal. Keep your heads down. Don’t leave town, but tell your families to. No need for them to get involved.” He said.

“So we’re going to hide from those bastards?” Vegeta cried.

“What do you suggest? You’re going to chase them all away? They’re the police, Vegeta, just because you’ve got a vendetta doesn’t mean we should all put our necks on the line,” Beerus said sharply. Vegeta gritted his teeth. He didn’t want to run and hide from Frieza. He wanted to kill him. “If the cops take you in, you tell them nothing, use your phone call on me. I’ll get my lawyer to you. All of you show up here every morning at 9:00 AM, like you’re coming in to work. We’ll check in then.”

Vegeta stepped down the stairs. He was seething. He knew Beerus was right, it wasn’t as if he could fight the police force, but the thought of running away like a coward made him sick. This was all such a mess. Years after escaping Frieza, it felt like he was being pulled back into his twisted games.

“Hey, Vegeta, where you heading?” A voice said from behind him. He turned briefly to see Goku catching up, and turned back.

“None of your damn business!” He snapped.

“Aw, come on, don’t be that way!” He matched Vegeta’s stride with his own long legs. “Come on, do you want to go get food? I’ve got some cash on me.”

“I don’t want to get food with you.”

“Okay, well, can you slow down for a second?”

“Why should I?”

“I wanted to ask you something.”

“Then ask.”

“You don’t think Frieza would do something crazy like call in the FBI, do you?” There was a strange tone in his voice. Vegeta scowled.

“Of course he wouldn’t. He’s running an illegal operation through the police, the Feds are the last people he wants around.” Goku stopped.

“Yeah. Okay. I guess that makes sense.” He grinned.

9:00 AM the next morning, Vegeta got there at the same time as Goku. They were surprised to find that Bulma was there, but Beerus and Whis were not. Bulma was sipping coffee and tapping irritably.

“9:00 AM is too damn early, and he couldn’t even bother to show up on time.” She grumbled. Goku frowned.

“You guys don’t think he got caught, do you?” He asked.

“If Beerus was caught, we’d all be in prison. He’ll be here. He probably stayed up too late doing god-knows-what with Whis and overslept.” Vegeta said.

More time passed. The tension got worse. It was after 11 when Bulma picked up the phone.

“That’s it, I’m calling the station. If he’s in custody, I’m going home,” She said. The door clicked open everyone turned to see Whis and Beerus walking in together. Beerus looked exhausted, his eyes had dark circles around them and his enormous ears drooped as if he didn’t have the strength to hold them up. Whis was by his side, a cigarette in his mouth. “Where have you been?” She asked, slamming the receiver down.

“Where do you think? God damn Ginyu took me in to interrogate me all night.” Beerus growled. Whis rested a hand on his shoulder.

“I’ll explain everything. Go rest.” He said.

“Are you sure?”

“I can handle it, try to get some sleep,” Beerus nodded, then leaned up to kiss Whis. Mid-kiss, He suddenly remembered there were other people in the room, and he pulled away, staggering back by several feet. He stood frozen for a moment as if attempting to blend in with his surroundings, then cleared his throat in an unnatural manner and quickly stomped into his office, slamming the door shut behind him. Whis, apparently unaffected by what has just happened, turned to the rest and spoke. “Mr. Beerus was detained for questioning at the early hours of the morning, his lawyer and I were able to negotiate his release.”

“What do the police know?” Vegeta asked.

“Unfortunately, we’re not entirely sure what information they do have, but Mr. Beerus refused to answer any questions, regardless of the consequences.” He looked to Beerus’ office door with a slight expression of concern.

“They’ll be coming after us next, then?” Bulma asked, looking worried.

“Me, most likely, as I am his closest associate. If they find you, Vegeta, or you, Goku, you’ll be arrested. I’ll be making arrangements to get the two of you to a safe place in the Keys. Bulma, since there’s nothing to connect you to any knowledge of illegal activity, it’s best you don’t run. If you’re brought in for questioning, refuse to speak until a lawyer is present.”

“Right,” Bulma nodded. Vegeta felt his heart racing. This was happening so fast. He was going to have to go into hiding with Goku, now? For how long? Just the two of them? His head was spinning at the thought. He had a million questions, but before he could ask any of them, the intercom buzzed. Everyone exchanged worried faces, except Whis, who calmly nodded to Bulma.

“Go ahead,” He said. Bulma pressed the button.

“Destroyer Industries, how may I help you?” She said.

“Miami Police, ma’am, we need to ask a few questions.” A voice said.

“That’s Ginyu,” Vegeta said.

“So persistent,” Whis sighed. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a pistol. “Send them up.” He said as he reloaded.

“What are you doing?” Goku asked. Whis scoffed as is it should have been obvious.

“I’m not going to jail.” He said.

“Whis, no, I can’t let you do this!” Goku looked worried. Vegeta stepped forward.

“He’s right. If anything happens to you, Beerus won’t let us live it down.”

“I’ll be fine. All of you get in the office and don’t make a sound.”

“But, Whis—“ Goku protested.

“Goku,” He looked to him with a more serious expression than Vegeta had ever seen. “I realize you’re new here, but you should consider my words to be the same as Mr. Beerus’,” He said sternly. Goku frowned. “Bulma.”

“Okay,” She said. She pressed the button to unlock the doors. “Come on up, Officer.” Then, She calmly walked to the office. Vegeta followed. Goku hesitated, then followed as well.

Beerus’ office had a frosted window in the door with his name painted across it. It had a classy, old-fashioned look to it, which Vegeta supposed was what Beerus liked about it. However, it did make hiding a little more difficult. Bulma crouched by Beerus’ desk, Vegeta leaned back against the wall by a bookshelf, and Goku stood against the wall, behind where the door would open.

“You left him alone to deal with the cops?” Beerus barked. Everyone shushed him. Bulma was explaining the situation in a whisper.

“This doesn’t feel right. He could really get hurt.” Goku frowned.

“No shit, get back out there and—“

“If we go out there, we’ll get arrested. Not detained for questioning, we’ll go to prison,” Vegeta hissed. “Frieza is thorough. He won’t stop until he has all of us behind bars. It’s best to just wait here for now, and hope Whis knows what he’s doing.”

“Good afternoon, Officer, how can I help you?” They could hear Whis’ voice faintly through the door.

“Are you Whis?”

“Yes,”

“We’re going to need you to come with us.”

“Am I being arrested for something?” Whis’ voice was as calm as ever.

“We just need to ask you some questions.” Ginyu said, although his tone suggested he was not making a request. Whis, however, was not phased.

“With all due respect, Officer, I have a very busy day today, and I’d much rather do this another time.”

“You’re under suspicion of involvement in several serious felonies, including possession and trafficking of a controlled substance, conspiracy, fraud, and more.”

“Yet you don’t have a warrant.” Whis replied coolly. Beerus snickered.

“Fine, but I am aware of your record. It can be difficult to get employment with that rap sheet.” Ginyu said. Vegeta was a little surprised to hear this. He didn’t know much about Whis, but he didn’t seem like the sort who had a criminal record. Then again, most people in this business did.

“First you make vague threats about your suspicions, now you’re—what is it, exactly—offering to expunge my record in exchange for information? I’m getting dizzy, Officer.”

“What I’m saying is we can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way.”

“Captain!” A new voice said. It was Jeice, Vegeta recognized the accent. “We’re needed back at the station right away, sir.”

“Tell them I’m busy.” Ginyu replied.

“It’s urgent, they said we’re to wrap up whatever it is we’re doing and get back within the next ten minutes.”

“Ten minutes?” The rest of their exchange was mumbled and too quiet to hear. Then, Ginyu spoke again. “We’ll be sending another officer to speak to you soon.”

“I look forward to it.” Whis said. The door closed. Footsteps approached, then Whis opened the office door. Beerus leapt up.

“Are you alright?” He asked.

“I’m fine.”

“What the hell happened?” Vegeta said. Whis leaned against the door frame.

“I’m not sure. It was the strangest thing. But, I think we should wait on sending you two away.” He nodded toward Vegeta and Goku. Vegeta exhaled a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

“Do you really think that’s a good idea?” Beerus asked.

“Let’s just say I’ve got a good feeling about this.”

Vegeta woke up to the sound of his phone ringing. It was 6:00 AM. He wanted to ignore it, but with everything that was happening, he decided to answer it. He rolled out of bed and grabbed the phone.

“This had better be important,” he growled.

“Hey, Vegeta! Sorry to call so early, I hope I didn’t wake you!” Goku’s voice came through.

“How did you get this number?”

“Bulma gave it to me.”

“Of course. What the hell do you want?”

“Have you seen the news?”

“Of course I haven’t, I was asleep,” He twisted the cord and sat in his chair. “Besides, I don’t even own a TV. So what is this about?” There was a pause.

“You don’t own a TV? Like at all?”

“I’m not going to pay $300 for something I’ll never use. If you don’t get to your point, I’m going to hang up.”

“Oh right! It’s Frieza!” Vegeta felt his heart leap.

“What happened?”

“No, no, it’s good news! He’s been arrested! Along with most of his crew. There was an investigation of some sort and he was busted for forging and withholding evidence, fraud, you know, all that stuff he does.” Vegeta was in shock. He stood up only to sit back down, slowly.

“Arrested? Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure! It’s awesome! I mean like how lucky is that?”

Vegeta was in a daze as he showered and got dressed. He drove to work, not sure what he was planning to do, not believing this was real yet knowing that it was. He gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles. The news story was broadcast on the radio. It was huge. A massive portion of the police force was arrested. The Chief of Police was being called upon to step down. Miami PD has been disgraced.

He was _free_.

He sat in his car for what felt like an eternity. He couldn’t shake the surreal feeling that he was going to wake up at any moment from this dream. Frieza was in jail with no bail. He’d probably be locked up for a long time with all the evidence that had been compiled against him, even if no one testified. Even if he was released, he’d never be a cop again. He didn’t have any power anymore.

Vegeta stepped into the office and looked around, dumbfounded. Bulma was there, and so was Goku. The two of them were cheerily chatting away about how great this was.

“So, it’s true, then? He’s really gone?” He asked. He knew there was no reason they would lie to him about this, but some part of him just couldn’t accept it.

“It’s a national scandal. My bet is they’re going to lock him up for a long time, really make an example of him.” Bulma said. Beerus walked in with Whis.

“Who’s ready to celebrate?” Beerus cried. “Matter of fact, pack up, kids, we’re gonna take my yacht out for the evening.”

“Wow, really?” Goku asked.

“Yeah, we’re gonna tear it up. We’ll have booze, grass, blow, ‘ludes, anything your heart desires.”

“Will there be food?”

“Of course there will be food! What the hell kind of parties do you think I throw?”

“Have fun with that,” Vegeta turned to leave. He hated parties.

“You’re not coming?” Bulma asked. Even without looking at her he could sense her pout.

“Come on, Vegeta, I thought you’d want to celebrate more than anyone.” Beerus said. Vegeta turned back, meaning to explain that he just wanted to go home and try to forget Frieza ever existed. Instead, he caught Goku’s face, and found that his pout was somehow even deadlier and cuter than Bulma’s. So, what he said instead was:

“Fine, I’ll come out this once.”

Vegeta didn’t know what he was doing. Parties weren’t his thing. He hadn’t gone to one since high school. He didn’t even know what to wear, and ended up in a plain t-shirt and jeans looking basic but, he hoped, neither underdressed nor overdressed.

He saw Goku walking toward him from a distance. He was wearing a gaudy Hawaiian shirt tucked into some very short cutoff jean shorts. Vegeta swallowed. Goku had very muscular thighs. Vegeta had never really cared for the current trend of men wearing such short shorts, but suddenly, he found he was changing his mind. Goku waved, grinning broadly when he saw Vegeta. Vegeta found himself smiling back and forced himself to stop.

Whis arrived with Bulma in tow. Both of them seemed like they had already had a few drinks before they got there. Bulma was wearing a cream colored jumpsuit. Her hair was curled in soft waves and her makeup was glittery. Whis looked, Vegeta thought for a lack of better words, gayer than he had ever seen him look. He was wearing a tight tank top and short, satin gym shorts. He was decked out in more jewelry than usual, and his makeup was also sparkly.

“Hey, guys, don’t look so down.” Bulma beamed.

“Where the hell’s Beerus?”

“Beerus is getting the yacht ready. I’ll lead the way,” Whis said. He held out an arm and Bulma linked hers with it. The started down the docks. Goku held out his arm as well, grinning. Vegeta huffed and stomped forward, leaving him with his arm out like a fool.

They followed Whis down the harbor to the area where the largest boats were sheltered in tin sheds. When they got to the space where Beerus’ boat was sheltered, Whis called out,

“¡_Estamos acá, papacito_!”

“Not in front of the kids, Whis,” Beerus called back. “We should be just about ready, better get on board and we can get the hell out of he—“ he turned and actually saw Whis for the first time. His jaw dropped and he stared for a moment.

“¿_Te gusta_?” Asked Whis.

“_Me gusta mucho_,” Beerus replied breathlessly. Then, realizing everyone was staring at him, he cleared his throat. “Get your asses up here already before I leave without you.”

They climbed the steps into the boat. The deck looked normal enough, a couple coolers full of alcohol and a portable 8-Track player blasting 10cc. Once they went below deck, however, it quickly turned into a drug den. Every surface was covered in various drugs and snacks. Whis and Bulma wasted no time pouring up drinks, and Whis started sorting lines on a mirror surface. Goku immediately gravitated toward the food. Vegeta found himself standing awkwardly between the two parties. The boat lurched, and they started pulling out of the harbor. Everyone filtered up to the deck again. They sat around and watched shore get farther away. Once they were a ways out to sea and surrounded by the ocean reflecting the colors of the sky, they dropped anchor.

Vegeta sipped at whisky. He was still above deck while everyone was below deck, getting high, or in Goku’s case, eating food. Vegeta felt tense. He didn’t like crowds. He didn’t like parties. He wasn’t good at them. Making small talk wasn’t his strong suite, but he didn’t like being too drunk, and drugs didn’t really appeal to him. Whis stumbled up the stairs.

“Oh, there you are, Vegeta. We were beginning to think you’d fallen overboard.” He slurred.

“Haven’t been so lucky yet.” He mumbled. Whis lit a joint and sat beside him.

“You know, you are allowed to have fun. In fact, it’s pretty much encouraged at parties.” He said.

“I’m not very good at that.”

“Hm, you need something that will loosen you up.” Whis said. He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Vegeta. It was a pill.

“What the hell is this?” Vegeta said, rolling it around in his hand.

“It’s a ‘Lude. It’s not going to freak you out like coke, it’s going to relax you.”

“I don’t normally do drugs.” He mumbled.

“Well I’m not holding a gun to your head. I just thought it would make this easier for you. Maybe easiest to talk to anyone you feel like talking to,” Vegeta looked up in surprise. “Of course, I don’t know what I’m talking about, I’m out of my head.” Whis laughed. Vegeta looked back down at the pill, then shrugged and swallowed it. He drank it down with whisky.

“I hope I don’t die.” He said. Whis laughed again.

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll be fine. Come on back in, we miss you.” He went back downstairs. Vegeta took a breath, then followed.

It didn’t take long for the pill to kick in. After a while, he felt floppy and sleepy and heavy. He was slumped back against his seat. Everything felt surreal, as if he were dreaming it. Bulma was talking to him, and he seemed to be responding, but he was barely aware of what he was saying. He liked how her makeup sparkled under the light, and how she moved so quickly. He could see Whis in Beerus’ lap on the other side of the room, giggling and whispering into his ear. He could see Goku, who sat beside him. Goku. He was so beautiful.

He wasn’t sure if he said that out loud.

Goku was laughing. He had a nice laugh. Cuter than it seemed like should belong to such a powerful man.

So sleepy.

What time was it? Midnight? 3 AM? Noon? He couldn’t quite tell. Everything was far away and dreamlike.

Whis stood, sparkling and brilliant. He took Beerus’ hand, and pulled him up. The colors of Beerus’ shirt danced and popped at Vegeta as he stood and walked away. They disappeared into their quarters.

Bulma lay back on the couch. She was drunk and tired, and despite her tousled hair and distorted makeup, she looked beautiful. Her face was slightly flushed and she looked peacefully asleep.

“Are you okay, Vegeta?” Goku’s voice was blurry.

“‘M fine, just tired,” he muttered.

“Maybe we should get some air,” He helped Vegeta stand up. Walking and moving was difficult. It reminded Vegeta of the few times he had gotten too drunk, it felt like the ground was moving beneath him, more than the boat actually was. He stumbled and clung to Goku for support. They made their way up to the deck. Vegeta sat on one of the seats. Goku sat beside him. Vegeta lay against his shoulder. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Just tired,” Vegeta repeated.

“Yeah, I’m pretty beat, too,” Goku said. “I bet you’re feeling pretty glad about Frieza getting put away, though. No bail or anything, that’s pretty brutal.”

“I don’t wanna talk about Frieza.”

“Okay, I guess that’s fair,” Goku laughed. “What do you want to talk about?”

“You.”

“Me?”

“You saved my life.”

“Wh-what? Oh, come on, no. I mean it was really my fault you got shot in the first place. Plus I was going to take you to the hospital and you probably would have gotten arrested.”

“Saved me from everything,” he sat up a little. “Hey, guess what?”

“What?” Goku looked down in surprise. Vegeta sat up and pressed his lips against Goku’s. It felt nice, the pleasant tingling he felt from the pill intensified. He sat back down. “Oh. Okay.” Goku laughed.

Vegeta didn’t remember falling asleep, but it seemed Goku had carried him downstairs and put him in his bed. He was even tucked in. The events of the night and were blurred together like a dream. He remembered talking to Bulma. He remembered dancing on the ocean’s surface. He remembered kissing Goku. He remembered kissing Bulma. He couldn’t tell what was real and what wasn’t. He was exhausted. He stumbled out into the main area. Bulma was sitting up, wrapped in a blanket. She had washed her face and tied her hair back. Vegeta sat beside her.

“You okay?” He asked.

“I feel better now that I stopped throwing up.” She said, groggy. They were silent for a time.

“Did we kiss last night?” He asked. She thought for a moment.

“I don’t think so.” She said.

“Must have dreamed it,” another silence. “Did...anybody else kiss last night?”

“What do you mean? Pretty sure I didn’t kiss anybody last night. Beerus and Whis were going at it all night, though. I’m surprised you slept through it. They kept waking me up. Whis was screaming like a cheap whore.” She laughed. Vegeta wrinkled his nose.

“Remember anything else?” He asked.

“Not so far. Probably gonna after I get some coffee in me, though.”

As if on cue, Whis walked out. He seemed as fresh-faced as ever, he had changed his clothes, his face was clean, his hair was neatly in place, and he was wide awake.

“Who wants coffee?” He asked.

“How the hell are you so chipper? I think you got less sleep than all of us.” Bulma said. Whis smirked.

“Actually, I got no sleep, but the right combination of powders and pills can replace eight hours of restful sleep easily.”

“Speak for yourself, sunshine.” Beerus grumbled as he stepped out of the room, looking disheveled.

“Long night?” Vegeta said.

“Shut up,” Beerus replied.

Whis was already boiling water for coffee. He dug through the fridge and pulled out various dishes to warm in the oven. When Whis brought everyone coffee, Beerus asked,

“There any bacon in all that?” Whis sighed.

“Yes, there’s bacon. You’re supposed to be watching your cholesterol, you know?”

“Hmph, you make me feel old,” he sipped his coffee and sank into his seat. “You know what the hippies are eating these days? Soy bacon. Supposed to taste just like the real thing, but it’s made outta vegetables. Isn’t that disgusting?”

“Probably, but those hippies will probably outlive you.”

“That’s perfect, because if I ever start eating that garbage, I want you to shoot me.” He said.

Goku stepped out of his room with a yawn. As soon as Vegeta saw him, his heart leapt. He had kissed him.

‘_No. Probably not. It was a dream that I kissed Bulma, why wouldn’t it be a dream that I kissed him_?’ He told himself.

“Is that bacon I smell?” He asked, rubbing his eyes.

“Good morning, Goku. You look like you slept well.” Whis said.

“Yeah, I slept great.” He said. Bulma, Vegeta, and Beerus glared at him for having the audacity to be well rested and not hungover or coming down from any substances.

“Perfect, then you can help Whis with breakfast.” Beerus said.

“Me? I’m not much of a cook.”

“We’ll find something for you to do,” Whis said. “Come on, I don’t bite.”

“Okay,” Goku sighed defeatedly. Beerus started rolling joints. Vegeta went outside to get some fresh air. The ocean breeze was helping him wake up.

He kept remembering kissing Goku. The more he woke up, the more vivid it was becoming. The same wasn’t happening with the memory of kissing Bulma. His stomach knotted. He couldn’t have. He wouldn’t have.

But he had the horrible feeling that he absolutely did.

Goku stepped up above deck.

“Hey, Vegeta, Whis wants to know how you want your eggs.” He said.

“I don’t care.”

“He said if you say you don’t care, he’s gonna poach them.”

“Fine, scrambled, then,” he grumbled. Goku nodded, and started back down the steps. “Wait,” he stopped and turned back. “You were sober last night, right?”

“Uh, yeah, I don’t drink or anything.”

“I...had a lot of dreams last night, and I can’t remember which parts are real and which aren’t. Did...did Bulma and I kiss last night?”

“You and Bulma? Not that I saw. She conked out pretty early, too, so I’m not sure when that would have happened.”

“Right. That’s what she thought, too. I must have dreamed that,” he hesitated. “So, was all of it a dream?”

“I don’t know, what else do you remember?”

“If you don’t know what I’m referring to, it must have been a dream.”

“Well, how can I know if you don’t say what it is?”

“Never mind, you would definitely remember this.” Vegeta waved dismissively.

“Do you mean like when you kissed me?” Goku asked. Vegeta choked.

“That...wasn’t...a dream?”

“No, but I wasn’t going to make a big deal about it,” he laughed. “You were pretty out of it.” Vegeta felt himself get cold.

“That’s right. I was out of it. I didn’t even know it was real. I thought I was dreaming.” He said through gritted teeth.

“Okay,” Goku seemed a little puzzled. “So it’s no big deal. Anyway, breakfast will be ready pretty soon.” He went back inside. Vegeta sat back and briefly considered throwing himself into the ocean.

Vegeta barely spoke for the rest of the day. No one else seemed to know that anything happened, but Vegeta still felt consumed by how embarrassed he was. He never did things like that. He never did drugs. He never did stupid things and then forgot about them the next morning. He certainly never kissed other men, sober or not. They ate breakfast in silence, and once Beerus was feeling better, he started the boat for the harbor.

As soon as Vegeta got home, he fell asleep on his couch. The Quaalude had made him so tired, he slept all day and didn’t wake up until after midnight.

It took him a moment to realize what had woken him. His phone was ringing. He was blinking in confusion for a time. He stood up off the couch, wrapped in an afghan, and trudged to his phone.

“What?” He grumbled.

“Vegeta! I need you to meet me right away and bring the rookie with you. Actually, don’t call him, I’ll call him, but the two of you need to come meet me right away.” Beerus was speaking so rapidly Vegeta could barely keep up.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Not at the office, the office isn’t safe. I’m not sure anywhere is safe. Fucking dammit. Meet us here at Whis’, but be quick about it. I’ll give you the address but don’t write it down and don’t tell anyone where you’re going.”

“Beerus, seriously, how many lines have you done today? You should really slow down at your age.”

“Vegeta, this isn’t a fucking joke. I need you here, now. Somebody tried to kidnap Whis.” Beerus snapped. Vegeta felt his stomach drop.

“Cops?”

“I have no idea.” He sounded scared. Suddenly, Vegeta was scared, too.

“I’ll be there in a few.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was supposed to include a lot more exciting stuff but it was getting long so I ended up cutting it off before I planned to originally. Hopefully it contains enough intrigue to keep you from falling asleep. Also I’ve never taken a Quaalude so I have no idea if I accurately depicted what it’s like. Oh, and feel free to correct my Spanish! I’m still a beginner so I relied on the Internet a lot which isn’t always the best for translation.


	3. Rebel Rebel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CW: Graphic depictions of drug use, police, kidnapping/abduction, internalized homophobia, trauma, homophobia (period-typical and not), homophobic violence, conversion therapy mention, sex mentions, please let me know if you would like anything else tagged! 
> 
> Before they have a chance to recover from what happened at the party, Vegeta and Goku must protect Whis from an unknown abductor. Vegeta learns some interesting things about Whis, confusing things about himself, suspicious things about Goku, and has a hardy breakfast.

Vegeta pulled up to the address Beerus had given him. It was a high-rise, one of the nicest buildings in the city. Vegeta had the impression before today that Beerus was paying for Whis’ housing and other needs, but he didn’t realize how much he was paying. He took an elevator up to a penthouse, which was lavishly decorated with new-looking furniture and carpeting.

Whis looked different than Vegeta had ever seen. He was pale, a little bit disheveled, his eyes seeming to stare a thousand yards away, smoking a cigarette while leaning against the arm of a couch. His hands were trembling hard. Beerus, on the other hand, was pacing back and forth rapidly, sniffling constantly.

“Allergies?” Vegeta asked.

“Where the hell’s the other one?” Beerus snapped.

“Here!” Goku walked in. “I’m here.” Vegeta felt a strange stirring in his gut when he saw him. He had wanted more time to pass, more time to forget about what happened last night. This was not the time for awkwardness.

“What’s going on?” Vegeta asked.

“We were here, and they god damn—fuck—they grabbed him, we were about halfway to fucking Orlando before he—_puta madre_—they had guns, he could’ve—fuck!”

“Slow down, Beerus, I can’t understand you.” Vegeta said.

“They grabbed me,” Whis said, still staring off into the distance. “I stepped outside. Beerus and I were going to go to the corner store. Beerus was washing up. I went downstairs and stepped out, and suddenly I was on the ground with a bag on my head. They threw me into a car.”

“Who were they?”

“I don’t know. They didn’t look like cops. They didn’t say if I was under arrest. They just grabbed me and cuffed me.”

“Sons of bitches, if I hadn’t gotten out in time to see them, I don’t know what would have happened—fuck—their car didn’t have plates, I don’t know who the fuck they were,” Beerus rambled.

“I only got a good look at one of them. He was a young man, black hair, blue eyes. That’s all I know.”

“How did you get out?” Vegeta asked. Whis took a long drag.

“Kicked out the back window, then I jumped.”

“You could have died. Are you okay, Whis?” Goku said.

“I’m not injured.”

“So what do we do now?” Vegeta asked.

“You,” Beerus said. “Are going with Whis to our place in the Keys, and you will not let him out of your sight. I’m going to get to the bottom of this. Someone is after us, and I need to know who.”

“You’re going by yourself? Whis said. “And what will that accomplish? Do you think by running out by yourself acting macho, we’re all somehow going to be saved?”

“Whis, don’t do this,” Beerus said in a low voice.

“What’s the point? Why put yourself at that risk? If it is the police, you’re going to get yourself locked up, and if it’s not, they’ll probably just kill you. How would that suit you? Locked up or dead?” Whis continued. Vegeta thought Beerus was going to lose his temper. Instead, he took a shaky breath.

“I promised I’d keep you safe. I’m going to keep that promise. Even if it does kill me,” He said. Whis’ expression softened. He sank into the couch. “We don’t have time. The two of you go to our place on Islamorada. Don’t let anything happen to him. Can you do that?” Vegeta was at a loss. He had never seen Beerus and Whis interact this way. “Can you do it?” Beerus repeated.

“Yes, of course, sir.” He said quickly.

“Come on, Whis, we’ll walk you to the car so we know you’re safe, okay?” Goku said. Whis stood up and stomped into his room. He came back out shortly, wearing a long, white, mink jacket.

“Whis, what’s with the coat? It’s eighty-six degrees.” Beerus said.

“If I’m going to die tonight, I’m going to die in my mink.” He said stubbornly. Beerus sighed.

“You’re not going to die, we won’t let anything happen to you.” Goku put his hands up. Whis stomped toward the door and stopped in front of Beerus.

“If you get yourself killed, I won’t forgive you.” He said.

“I know,” Beerus replied. They locked eyes for a moment, then, to everyone’s surprise, Beerus pulled him into a tight hug. He whispered something into Whis’ ear. For a moment, it looked like Whis was about to cry, but then, he swallowed hard, nodded, and stood upright.

They walked out together. Whis was still shaking and jumpy. When they got in the car, he lay across the backseat.

“Wake me up when we get there. Or if we’re getting arrested.” He said. Vegeta and Goku exchanged uncertain looks, but started the car anyway.

It was over two hours of driving time to get to Islamorada. For most of it, no one spoke. It seemed to be a relief for both of them that Whis was asleep. In all the years he worked for Beerus, Whis had always been composed. Hell, he had just seen him after a long night of taking drugs and not sleeping, and yet the next morning he looked the same as always. Now, though, he was different. For as gentle as Whis seemed, the anger that brimmed just below the surface held a terrifying edge.

“Hey, Vegeta?” Goku said softly as they passed through Key Largo.

“Hm?”

“What does Whis do?”

“What do you mean?”

“He works for Beerus, like we do, right? But his job is different, somehow. It seems like he’s really important, but what does he actually do?”

“I have no idea _if_ Whis does anything, or _if_ so, what it is. All I know is he’s important to Beerus, which makes protecting him part of my job.” Vegeta whispered.

They were silent the rest of the way.

When they pulled up to the address, Vegeta was a little surprised to find it was a small, beach bungalow on stilts, not a luxurious mansion or another penthouse, as he had been imagining.

“Whis, we’re here,” Goku said gently. Whis sat up, rubbed his eyes, then climbed out of the car. They stepped inside. Elements of Whis’ decorating style were apparent, similar furniture and decorations to his apartment, but in a smaller scale.

“Cozier then I was expecting,” Vegeta said.

“It’s meant to be a place for Beerus and I. Just a small getaway for the two of us. Too bad we’ve rarely had the time to use it.” Whis said. He dug through the drawers until he found a bag containing a couple of joints that had apparently been left last time he and Beerus were there. He lit one up and sat at the kitchen table.

“Hey, Vegeta?” Goku said.

“What?”

“Do you mind taking first shift? I’m exhausted, and I kinda think I’ll be more help after I get some sleep.”

“You want to go to sleep? But what am I supposed to do—he’s all...upset. You seemed to be handling it well.” Vegeta stammered.

“Hey, it’s not a big deal. You just have to talk to him. I know you have it in you to be nice. You were being awfully sweet last night.” Goku said. Vegeta’s fist clenched.

“What the hell does that mean?” He growled lowly. Before Goku could answer, he continued. “Don’t you dare ever bring that up again. That never happened, do you understand?” Goku frowned.

“O-okay, uh, sorry. But, do you mind?” He said.

“Fine! Go. Get out of my hair for a few hours.”

Goku nodded, then left in search of the bedroom. Vegeta was left looking at Whis, who still seemed despondent and shaken. He frowned as he slowly approached the table to sit beside him.

“I keep multiple sets of books, write up documents, communicate with our clients, headhunt people who could be of use to us, track stock and sales, and occasionally assist with the shipping and moving of our product into the US and across the country.” Whis said, his voice flat.

“What?”

“I heard you talking to Goku in the car. You said you didn’t know _if_ I did anything to earn my pay, or _if_ so, what it was. I thought I’d fill you in.”

“Oh.”

There was a long and unbearable silence. Vegeta didn’t know what to say. He felt like he should apologize, but he hadn’t really said anything wrong, exactly. Maybe implied, but not said. Whis wasn’t even looking at him, anyway. He was staring into the distance. Vegeta was staring at the wood grain of the table.

“Did the men who grabbed you say anything at all?” He asked.

“No. Not even to each other.”

“Do you think they were law enforcement?”

“Hard to say. If they were trying to arrest me, they missed a couple steps. I doubt the Miami Police Department would behave so recklessly after the Frieza fiasco. Do you know they’re saying his own father turned him in?”

“Chief Cold? I didn’t know that.”

“Any cop in this town knows not to mess with Beerus. They’re paid not to.”

“Who else could they have been? One of the rival families?”

“They’d have to be pretty stupid to cross that line. Beerus is fairly lenient, you know. He lets the kids have their little street gangs, but anyone who tries to encroach on his territory in any real capacity winds up at the bottom of a harbor. Besides, they were organized. They knew where I would be and when. They had to have been watching me for some time to find me in that one instance all day that I was by myself,” His voice trembled slightly. “My guess is Feds or DEA.”

“Why would they grab _you_?” Vegeta asked. Whis glared. “I-I just mean, why not take Beerus himself?”

“That much I don’t know. Maybe Beerus was the original plan but I was the one they were able to get alone. Or maybe they thought I’d be an easy target.”

Silence again. Whis was still shaking, but he seemed a little more engaged the more he smoked.

“I overheard Ginyu say you had a record?” Vegeta said. It was probably a stupid thing to bring up just then, but he was desperate for the awkward silence to end.

“I assumed you already knew about that from your time on the Frieza Force.” Whis said. Vegeta shook his head.

“No. We didn’t know a whole lot about you. At least, by the time I left. Frieza didn’t seem to think you were anyone to worry about at the time. I guess he changed his mind at some point.”

“Ah,” He leaned his elbows on the table. “And you’re dying to know what someone like me got busted for? I suppose that’s fair. I know an awful lot about you, but it seems you don’t know much about me,” he took a long drag and tapped some of the excess ash onto the ashtray.  
“I was 19. In college at NYU. I grew up in New York. I was studying pre-law, if you can believe it,” he smiled a little and looked down at the table. “Some friends of mine were throwing a party on the Upper East Side. I met a gentleman there. We decided to go to one of the bedrooms to be alone. We didn’t even know the police had been called. It was a noise complaint, I think,” his eyes flashed with something then. a sort of quiet rage, the sickening nostalgia of knowing nothing could have been done.  
“The officers who found us were so appalled by what they had seen, they felt they had no choice but to attack. That was what their lawyers said, anyway. They beat us both unconscious. They kept saying they were going to kill me. When I came to, I was being arrested for sodomy and resisting arrest.”

Vegeta felt a knot in his stomach. He had heard stories like this before. Growing up around cops, he had heard all-too-often of cops boasting about doing this exact thing. He never understood why someone would have so much animosity towards another person who was minding their own business. Seeing the look on Whis’ face felt like a knife to the gut, the other side of the horror story he had never experienced.

“Did you do time?” He asked, not knowing what else to say.

“No. I was lucky in a lot of ways. People like me have a long history of not surviving their encounters with police, or going to jail and not coming back. My family is what people call ‘important.’ Lawyers and politicians, that sort of thing. The resisting arrest charge was dropped. And at the time, New York was the only state where sodomy was only a misdemeanor. I paid a heavy fine and was court-ordered to a year of therapy to cure me of my sickness. I ended up going for two years. I had it in my head that if I kept trying, something would just click into place and suddenly I’d like women,” He said. Vegeta felt a little uneasy about this topic. He began looking around the room for something to change the subject to, but couldn’t find anything. Whis continued.  
“Then I met Beerus.”

“Beerus? Wait, how long have you known Beerus?” Vegeta asked. If Whis met Beerus two years after he was 19 then that would mean...

“Nine years.”

“_Nine_?” Vegeta choked. “I-I didn’t realize it had been so long.” Whis smiled, a genuine smile for the first time all night.

“We were already together when you joined five years ago, weren’t we?” He said.

“Yes, but I thought...” he stopped himself from finishing that sentence, but it seemed Whis already knew how it ended.

“You thought I was the fresh new side piece back then, now due to be replaced soon?” Whis smirked. Vegeta shifted.

“I-I...just...mm...” He had the overwhelming sense that anything he was about to say was just going to make him look like an even bigger asshole.

“You’re not the first to assume that. I’m almost 20 years younger than him. Why else would we be together?”

“Then...why _are_ you together?” Vegeta asked.

“Vegeta,” He was smiling wickedly. “You’ve never consider that our relationship is anything other than sexual, have you?” Vegeta folded his arms and turned to the ceiling.

“Well you two certainly keep busy enough.” He grumbled. Whis laughed.

“Yes, we do enjoy our alone time,” he said. “But that’s true of most couples, isn’t it? No, I’m afraid we’re quite in love.”

“Oh.” Was all Vegeta said. He didn’t want to react too strongly. But inside he was spinning. He had always thought and understood that men slept with other men for the sole reason that they were somewhat sexually deviant. Not that he cared much what people did in the bedroom. It had honestly never occurred to him that men could fall in love with other men and form real relationships. As far as he understood, it was like a fetish.

And suddenly he was starting to feel confused.

And scared.

“What about his wife?” He blurted. Then he cringed at himself. He was supposed to be calming Whis down.

“Hm, yes, Shelly,” he said. “Not much to say that isn’t already obvious, I think. Of course I wish he didn’t have a wife. But I understand why he does. It’s expected. There was a time when I would have probably gotten married, too, if any woman would give me the time of day,” He took a drag, the soft crackling of the burning paper and flower filled the silence as he pondered. “He keeps saying he’ll leave her, but I think in a way, he’s afraid.”

“Afraid? Of Shelly?”

“No. Afraid of what would happen, and what it would mean. If he left Shelly to be with me, there wouldn’t be any shield anymore. Nothing he could point to and say, ‘see? I can’t be gay.’ He’s seen what I’ve been through for being so visibly different. Part of his job is to be able to intimidate others, to make them listen. I think deep down, he thinks if everyone knows he’s gay, they won’t respect him anymore, and he’ll lose some of his power. And truthfully, he might be right.”

The longest silence Vegeta had ever lived through followed. He had questions, but he wasn’t sure he wanted them answered. Or he wasn’t sure if they were questions he was allowed to ask. But he kept thinking of Goku.

Of kissing him.

He had been telling himself over and over that it was the pill. The stupid Quaalude he took. He was high and confused and he kissed him without even understanding what he was doing.

But was that what happened?

He thought he was dreaming. But even if it was a dream, why would kissing Goku be his instinct?

“You look like you’re going to explode. Just ask whatever it is you want to ask. You won’t shock me, I’ve heard it all.” Whis said. He did seem strangely at ease to Vegeta, who had imagined that this topic would be more uncomfortable for both of them.

“How...do you know? That you...like men?” He mumbled. Whis raised an eyebrow.

“How do _I_ know?” He echoed. “Or how _would_ one know?” Vegeta thought for a moment.

“Well, for example—hypothetically—if someone kissed another man, but he was high or sleepwalking or something, that doesn’t necessarily make him...like that...does it?” Whis leaned back in his chair.

“_My_,” he said. “What a specific example! You wouldn’t be speaking from experience, would you?”

“Of course not!” He snapped. He could see from the look in Whis’ eyes that he did not believe him in the slightest. Still, he shrugged.

“It can all depend. If he was completely out of his head and had no idea what he was doing, then probably not. But if he wanted to kiss him, and being high just lowered his inhibitions enough to do it, then he may have something to consider.”

“How could he know for sure?”

“That’s something he’d have to figure out for himself. There’s no secret. You’ll just have to look inward.”

“I said this isn’t about me.” Vegeta doubled-down on his weak lie. Whis chuckled softly.

“Of course.”

The sky grew lighter. Whis was stoned and digging through the cupboards for food. It didn’t seem like there was much around.

After the sun had come up, Goku stepped out of the room. He yawned heavily.

“Mornin’,” he said. “I gotta say that waterbed is amazing. I haven’t slept so well in a long time.”

“You have a waterbed?” Vegeta asked. Whis shrugged where he sat on the couch.

“Beerus insisted on it,” he said. He stood. “If it’s not a problem for you, I’d like to get some sleep, too,” Vegeta nodded. He had gotten so much sleep after the Quaalude knocked him out that he still wasn’t tired yet. Whis stopped before disappearing into the bedroom. “I want steak and eggs when I wake up.” And then he shut the door behind him.

Vegeta and Goku looked at each other.

“Where the hell are we supposed to get steak and eggs?” Vegeta asked. Goku shrugged.

“I’ll call around.” He said.

Vegeta sat by while Goku called all the restaurants in town looking for steak and eggs. He was somewhat grateful for the buffer so that they didn’t have to speak just yet.

He wondered if Whis did that on purpose, or if he really just wanted steak and eggs.

“Hey, I found a place, I’ll go pick us up some breakfast. I’m starving. What do you want?” Goku said.

“I don’t care.” Vegeta grumbled.

“Pancakes it is, then.”

“Fine,” He hesitated. “Make sure they give me extra butter. They never give enough.” Goku laughed.

“Sure thing, Buddy.”

When Goku returned a short while later with a bag full of styrofoam boxes, Whis was still resting.

“Guess if it gets cold, we can reheat it in the microwave oven. Not sure how to use one, though.” Goku said.

“It’s his own fault for demanding breakfast and then going to sleep,” Vegeta scoffed. “He acts like a spoiled child.” Goku handed him a box. Vegeta opened it to find what looked like a surprisingly good stack of pancakes, plus small containers inside for syrup and butter. There was even extra butter, like he asked. Goku sat across from him and started eating.

“Aw, I’m sure he doesn’t mean it. He’s probably still freaked out about everything,” Goku said. “That must have been so terrifying. And we still haven’t heard back from Beerus. He must be pretty freaked out.”

“Hmph. Beerus will be fine, he always is.”

“Yeah, that’s true. So, who do you think it was that tried to nab him?”

“Who knows. Whis says he thinks it was the FBI or the DEA. I don’t know what kind of authority they have to put a bag over someone’s head and throw them into a car, though.” Vegeta said. Goku slowly set his fork down. He looked out the window, where the sunrise blended into pastel watercolors on the ocean’s surface.

“The FBI,” he echoed softly. “You don’t really think it’s them, do you?”

“Could be. Beerus is careful, but since there was an investigation on Frieza, it’s possible they’ve found some of the information he was withholding and are investigating it now.”

“What kind of information? How much could they know?” Goku sounded strained. He was, for whatever reason, trying to force himself to sound calm. But he was failing. Vegeta eyed him suspiciously as he took a bite of his pancakes.

“Not sure. Beerus is good at not getting his hands dirty. That’s what we’re for. But they at least have a lot of reason to suspect him of being connected to crimes. If anything they might have something on him for not paying his taxes. Not sure how much they can do with that.”

“What about us?”

“Us?” Vegeta stared. Goku was smiling but he was obviously nervous. “I don’t have any way of knowing. I would guess they probably have a lot on me. But your record is clean, so they can’t have too much on you, right?”

“Yeah. Right,” he said. They paused. “Can I ask you something?”

“All you’ve been doing is asking questions.”

“Oh, yeah. I was just wondering, are we okay? I just wanted to make sure we were still friends after what happened?” He said. Vegeta’s eyes narrowed.

“Would you drop that already?” He replied. Goku looked shocked. He couldn’t quite find the words to respond. “You’re making too big of a deal over this. It doesn’t matter, just quit bringing it up.”

“Oh.” Goku looked down at his food. Vegeta pretended not to feel guilty.

The sound of a car pulling up broke the silence. They looked to each other, then toward the front door. They both drew their guns and moved toward the door. Cautiously, Vegeta peered through the blinds.

“It’s Beerus,” he confirmed. They opened the front door.

Beerus looked bad. Not just coming-down-from-a-coke-binge bad. He had a black eye and his clothes were disheveled. He stepped in, looking exhausted as he collapsed onto the bright green couch. No one moved or spoke for a moment. Goku grabbed one of the styrofoam boxes and handed it to Beerus.

“You like hash browns?” He said. Beerus looked up at him, sat up slowly, and started eating.

“Where’s Whis?” He asked between bites.

“Sleeping.”

“Wake him up.” Goku and Vegeta looked at each other.

“Are you sure?” Vegeta asked.

“Do you think I would suggest waking Whis up on a whim?”

“I’ll get him.” Goku said. He walked out to get Whis. Vegeta sat in a chair across from Beerus.

“Beerus, what’s happening?” He asked. Beerus just shook his head and continued shoveling food into his mouth. After a few minutes, Whis walked out. He sat beside Beerus on the couch and turned his face to him. He gently stroked beside his swollen eye.

“What happened?” He said.

“Someone wasn’t willing to give up information very easily. You should see _him_.” He added with a forced laugh. Whis was stone-faced.

“What’s going on?”

“Well, there’s good news, and there’s bad news,” Beerus said. “The good news is, we may all be taking a trip out of the country soon.”

“Wait, you don’t mean—“ Vegeta started.

“The bad news is, the Feds are in town. And they’re interested in my business.”

Goku sank into another chair.

“Feds?” He echoed. “Well, why were they after Whis?” Beerus looked at Whis, then to the floor, and sighed.

“I can think of one reason. Normally, I don’t tell people this, but the situation has forced it out of me. Vegeta already knows this,” he said. Vegeta rolled his eyes.

“Good God, Beerus,” he breathed.

“Whis and I are lovers.” Beerus finished. Goku’s jaw dropped. He looked between the two of them several times.

“You are?” He gasped. “I had no idea!”

Vegeta and Whis exchanged expressions. They turned to Goku.

“Are you just humoring him?” Vegeta asked. Goku looked confused.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“You knew about the two of them before today, didn’t you?”

“No, how could I?” Goku said. Nothing in his face seemed to be a joke. Vegeta stood.

“How could you _not_? Everyone knows about them!”

“What do you mean?” Goku cried.

“Yeah, what _do_ you mean?” Beerus demanded.

“You’ve seen them kiss!”

“I thought it was a friendly kiss!” Goku said.

“FRIENDS DON’T KISS ON THE MOUTH!” Vegeta exploded. Silence followed. Goku was staring at him in utter bamboozlement. Without even needing to look, Vegeta felt Whis’ eyes on him.

“Oh, really?” Whis said, his voice merciless in its tone.

Vegeta’s face went red.

“_Forget it_!” He cried.

After several minutes of explanation, Goku seemed to understand. He was bouncing his knee anxiously.

“What do we do?” He asked. Beerus was thinking.

“We’re going to be cautious. If we bail just because they’re looking our way, it’s going to turn into a clusterfuck. We’re going to lay low. Real low. No one goes anywhere alone,” He stood up. “I have a place in The Grove. I never use it. It’s for emergencies only. I don’t think they’ll look for me there. We’ll stay there while we figure out what’s going on.”

“All of us?” Vegeta asked.

“For now. Get your stuff and meet at the address. Don’t take too long.”

“Wait!” Goku cried. Everyone turned to look at him.

“We’ve been through this, Goku, when I said Whis and I are lovers, I meant it exactly how it sounded.” Beerus sighed.

“No, it’s something else. I... What if the FBI isn’t after you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“What if there was a chance they’re after me?” Goku asked.

“Why the hell would they be after you?” Beerus said. “Your record is clean, and you’re not that big-time yet, kid.” Goku looked like he wanted to say something, but he couldn’t.

“What aren’t you telling us?” Vegeta asked. He felt something burning inside him. Goku looked strange. Guilty, or maybe sad.

“It doesn’t matter right now. You joined this family, which means we’re in this together. Understood?” Beerus looked at Vegeta as he said this. Vegeta didn’t like this. Something was wrong.

“Fine. Let me go get my stuff.” He said.

Vegeta didn’t say a word to Goku on the way home. He could sense Goku’s unease. He dropped him off at his car where it was still parked at Whis’ high rise.

Vegeta didn’t even stop at home. He probably should have, but he didn’t want to waste a second. He pulled up to the building.

The detention center.

It took some convincing, but he was eventually let in under the insistence that it was an emergency. They took him to a special room. There were several tables, but all were empty.

Frieza had a cop on either side of him as he was escorted to the table. He was cuffed to the table. He didn’t look like the same Frieza he had known for so many years. He was like a caged animal who had grown tired of throwing himself against the walls of his enclosure. Feral yet not willing to expend the energy it took to kill. He was glaring viciously at Vegeta.

“My mother’s been dead for years.” He said.

“It’s your protocol. You taught me that you can always get in to see somebody if you say their mother died.”

“So, have you come to gloat? Or are you and your family planning on suing me, as well? About half the criminals in this city think they have a case.”

“What did you tell the FBI?” He asked.

“The ones who arrested me? Why would I tell them anything?”

“Because covering your ass is what you do,” Vegeta growled. “And you would hand over your first-born child if you thought it would look good for you.”

“Touchy subject?” Frieza smirked wickedly. “Yes, I may have shared some insight. But why would I ever expound on that with you?”

“You don’t have anything on Beerus. You never have. Even taking his supply, you knew you weren’t going to be able to trace it back to him. If you could, you wouldn’t. It was too important for you to have a regular supply of drugs coming into Miami,” he said. “And I don’t care what you have on me.”

“Then who are you here for?”

“You tell me,” Vegeta said. “Why does some new kid with no record think the FBI is after him, not Beerus?” Frieza laughed.

“Oh, Vegeta, it sounds like you’ve gotten yourself into trouble. Are you suspicious of your partner? That is a complex situation.”

“What do you know?” Vegeta snapped. The guards both yelled at him to keep it down. He waved them off.

“The agents came to speak with me last night. They said my sentence would be shortened if I provided them with the information required. Of course I was happy to help. But now that you mention it, they were awfully interested in that new friend of yours. The one who knocked out my entire Ginyu Force unarmed. I wonder where he learned to fight like that,” Frieza’s eyes narrowed. “They spread out some pictures and asked me if any of them were involved in the attack on the station. One of them was him. Goku, isn’t it? Only, they knew him by a different name.”

“What are you talking about?”

“They had never heard the name Goku at all, yet it was definitely him in the pictures. The name they knew him by was Kakarot.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for another boring chapter but we unlocked some backstories so hopefully that kept y’all interested. 😅 I had a really hard time with this chapter so I apologize for the drop in quality here. Hopefully someday I’ll go back this story and smooth it out better, but for now, I hope you enjoyed it regardless!
> 
> EDIT: I wrote a prequel fic that is best read after this chapter. It’s called Yes, I’m Ready. Check it out if you’d like!


	4. I Shot the Sheriff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CW: Police, guns, violence, blood/gore, car accident, death, implied major character death, please let me know if you would like anything else tagged! 
> 
> Vegeta is reeling from what he just learned about Goku, or should he say Kakarot? What does all this mean? Is his new friend a traitor? And does any of this even matter with the FBI moving in? Also, how to stop a moving vehicle with one bullet.

Vegeta gripped his steering wheel with white knuckles as he drove. Coconut Grove was full of hippies and punks. Beerus only bought property there because he knew it seemed such an unlikely place for him to go.

The house itself was huge, with a cobblestone driveway and unkempt hedges. He knocked at the door. It was a long time before he was answered.

“Where the hell have you been?” Beerus demanded as he pulled him inside.

“Where is he?”

“Who?” Vegeta stormed past him. He found Goku in the living room.

“What have you been lying about?” He cried. Goku looked surprised.

“Vegeta,”

“What did you do? How’s it going to affect the rest of us?” He snarled.

“What are you talking about, Vegeta?” Beerus demanded.

“I went to talk to Frieza. I thought he’d know what’s happening. He told me the agents spoke to him, showed him pictures. Yours was among them.”

“Vegeta, calm down, I can explain—“

“Explain what? What’s the connection? Have you been working with them—Goku, or is it Kakarot?” He exploded.

“Stand down, Vegeta,” Beerus roared. Vegeta glared at him. He didn’t want to stand down. He wanted to keep screaming. He wanted to scream until he couldn’t feel his heart being ripped out anymore.

He had betrayed him. After he was starting to think that for the first time, he was feeling...

“Mr. Beerus—“ Goku was interrupted by Beerus drawing his gun and aiming it at him.

“I like you, kid, but you have 30 seconds to tell me what the hell is going on.” He said in a low, severe voice. Vegeta felt his heart drop. Goku put his hands up.

“I haven’t been working with them, I swear! But they’re looking for me. My record is clean, but only because I never got arrested for what I did.”

“What did you do?” Beerus pressed.

“I...I killed an FBI agent.”

Vegeta sank down onto a chair.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Beerus said.

“I thought you wouldn’t have wanted me in the family.” Goku said. Beerus sighed and uncocked his gun.

“You’re right. I wouldn’t have.” He said, tucking it back into his holster.

No one spoke for a long time.

“You’re not working with them?” Vegeta asked. Goku shook his head.

“No way. They want me dead.” Vegeta felt like he could breathe again.

But more questions had been raised. Questions Vegeta meant to ask after his heart stopped racing.

But there wasn’t time for that.

“How could you be so stupid? After all that crap you told me about how I shouldn’t kill a cop, you’ve killed a federal agent?” He cried. Goku looked down.

“That’s why I didn’t want you to kill Ginyu. I know what it’s like. They won’t consider anything else, they just see you as a monster and they’ll chase you down until you’re dead,” His face was serious. “I was 16. It was an accident. The agent was going to kill a child, I was just trying to stop him. I didn’t mean—“ he paused, as if trying to collect himself. “It doesn’t matter now. I haven’t seen any sign of agents in years. I had no idea I’d be putting any of you in danger when I joined the family. But since that’s the case, I’ll turn myself in. It’s one thing to avoid punishment for myself, it’s another thing if people are getting hurt.”

“What are you, crazy? You’re not turning yourself in!” Beerus barked. “You turn yourself in, they’re gonna torture you for information, then we all get screwed.”

“But—“

“But nothing! I told you, kid, you join this family, you join for life. Nobody leaves, nobody quits. Any problems you had before joining are the family’s problems now, just like our problems are now your problems. ¿_Comprendes_?”

“Mr. Beerus...”

“Surprisingly touching, Beerus,” Whis said. “When did you get such a soft spot?”

“Quit trying to embarrass me!” Beerus cried.

“Vegeta?” Goku said. Vegeta looked up at him. “You believe me, right?”

“Yes. I believe you.” He replied, his voice weak.

“So...we’re okay, right?”

“We’re fine.”

“Federal Agents, put your hands on your head!” A voice boomed. Suddenly they were surrounded, black-clad bodies pouring into the room from every side. Guns were drawn. They had nowhere to go. Vegeta looked to Beerus. Beerus shook his head as if to say,

“_We can’t fight them_.” They both slowly moved their hands on top of their heads.

“Beerus!” Whis cried.

“Just do what they say, Whis. It’s going to be alright,” Beerus said. His voice was shaking. Whis had a look in his eye, one that Vegeta remembered from how he spoke of the police officers that nearly killed him. A burning anger that was threatening to explode now. “Please, Whis, we’ll figure this out. Just put your hands on your head.” Whis was trembling as he did so. Goku looked pale as he was pushed to his knees.

The agents searched them and took their guns away. They were each cuffed. Then four agents, who seemed to be the ones in charge stepped before them.

“Too easy,” one of them said. She was a woman, with pale blonde hair and light blue eyes. “Almost feel like we wasted a lot of unnecessary time today.”

“It was not unnecessary. I knew what I was doing.” One who looked quite similar to the woman spoke, but he was a man, and his hair was black.

“You’re the one who grabbed me last night,” Whis said.

“I apologize for Agents 17 and 18,” An old man with a white mustache said. “They broke protocol and they will be disciplined. Regardless, you four will need to come with us. We have questions for you.”

Vegeta kept looking to Goku. Goku looked serious. They were lead outside, where several cars were parked outside, but the four of them were only put into two unmarked cars. Vegeta and Beerus in one with the old man, who was apparently Supervisory Special Agent Gero, and Agent 17, the young man with black hair. Whis and Goku were placed in another car, with the blonde woman, Agent 18, and the one who hadn’t spoken yet at all, the very tall and very muscular man with red hair whom they called Agent 16.

“Dammit!” Beerus cried. “They could at least put me in the same car as Whis. He hates cops, he’s probably freaking out.”

“He’ll be okay. Goku—Kakarot—whoever he is seems to be pretty good at calming him down.” Beerus frowned at leaned back against the leather seats.

“Kakarot. I’m not sure if I like that,” he said. “What a damn mess. I had the place covered. There must have been fifty guys out there watching us and they got past all of them.”

Vegeta looked out the window. He couldn’t see Goku or Whis in the car from where he was. He sighed.

“I let Frieza get into my head again. I swore it would never happen again but he distracted me with all that bullshit.”

“Don’t beat yourself up, kid. To be honest, I was starting to get pretty suspicious of him too.” They were silent for a time.

“Wonder how Whis is doing?” Vegeta said. Beerus let out a nervous laugh.

“Let me go! You have no authority to detain me!” Whis was ranting.

“Whis, it’s okay, just breathe. Beerus will figure this out.” Goku said. Whis looked angry, his eyes narrowed and his feet kicking the seat.

“These pigs will probably kill us before we get to trial. Is that the plan? Just wholesale slaughterings?” He demanded. The woman who was driving glared at him through the rear view mirror.

“I-I’m sorry, ma’am, he’s just kind of anxious around police, is all.” Goku said. The woman looked to the agent in the passenger’s seat.

“16, can’t you say something to calm him down?” She said. The large, red-haired man turned to look at Whis.

“Do not worry, sir. We are not the police. We are Federal Agents.” He said in a deep monotone.

“I don’t think that’s necessarily better.” Agent 18 said.

“Oh.” Agent 16 seemed a little confused.

“Shelly’s gonna be so pissed,” Beerus muttered, leaning his head against the cold window. “¡_Qué horror_! I can’t go to prison. You know how long it’s been since I’ve stabbed somebody?”

“Do us a favor and keep your conversations English. We can’t have you making plans right under our noses.” Agent 17 said, turning to face them.

“You think this idiot speaks any Spanish?” Beerus said. Vegeta huffed.

“Hey, Miss Agent Lady? Can you at least tell me what this is about, exactly?” Goku asked. Whis looked to him.

“Goku, it’s not worth worrying about now.” He said.

“Yes, listen to your friend.” Agent 18 said.

“We have our orders.” Agent 16 said. She smirked.

“Yeah. We have those.”

“So what happens next?” Agent 17 said, turning to face Gero. Gero glanced at him sideways.

“Just as we’ve been told. We’ll go to headquarters, take them in for questioning, and from there they’ll be arrested, processed, and sentenced.”

“Too bad about that. You’d think if someone kills a Federal Agent, there’d be a free pass to kill them.” Agent 17 said. Beerus and Vegeta exchanged nervous glances.

“That’s not how it works and you know that. Our orders were to get Beerus and his closest associates. We’re not interested in an old tale about what that thug may have done. All we need him for is to give up information on Beerus.”

“Yeah. But there’s a problem,” Agent 17 pointed his gun square at Gero’s temple. “I’m pretty fucking sick of following orders.”

“Jesus Christ!” Beerus cried. He and Vegeta ducked down just as Agent 17 pulled the trigger.

BLAM!

The sound rang so loudly in Vegeta’s ears that he didn’t hear the impact of the car hitting a lamppost.

CRUNCH!

“Vegeta!” Goku cried.

“Beerus!” Whis cried.

“He can be such a drama queen.” Agent 18 sighed as she pulled over.

The first thing Vegeta could hear through the ringing in his ears was Beerus cursing. Gero was dead in the driver’s seat, his brain splattered all over the car. Agent 17 was not in the car.

“Vegeta! Beerus!” He heard from outside. The door opened and he felt himself being yanked out by his arm. He looked up to see Goku and Whis, both still cuffed. Beerus was pulled from the car next.

“Beerus!” Whis cried.

“¿_Qué carajo_? What did you fucking do, you crazy son of a bitch?” Beerus yelled at Agent 17.

“He has a point. You could have at least waited until he wasn’t going 40 anymore.” Agent 18 said.

They were on a beach. The car Vegeta and Beerus had been in rolled over onto its roof after striking a power pole. Gero was dead. The agents had gone rogue.

“But where’s the fun in that?” Agent 17 smirked.

“What’s going on? Why did you shoot your supervisor?” Vegeta demanded.

“Oh, trust me, if you knew him, you’d want to shoot him, too,” Agent 17 said. “Besides, he was getting in the way of our plans.”

“What about you? Don’t you care that we just murdered our C.O. in cold blood?” Agent 18 asked Agent 16. Agent 16 shrugged.

“As long as the suspects are apprehended, it matters little the methods used to get them.” He said.

“That sounds fair, doesn’t it? And all we’re here for is revenge.” Agent 17 said.

Whis stepped over to Beerus.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me.” Beerus assured him. Whis passed him and crouched down by the overturned car, inspecting the body inside.

“So what is this about, then? You want to kill him,” Vegeta gestured at Goku with his head. “But you couldn’t get permission from Mommy?”

“Something like that. Officially, our job was to investigate Beerus.” Agent 18 said.

“I have to say, it’s hard as hell to find anything solid on you. It’s a good thing we weren’t looking for real because man, what a pain in the ass.” Agent 17 said to Beerus.

“But we have a job to do. A bigger, more important job. See, your guy Goku, he’s really Kakarot, and he murdered an agent years ago. We were requested by... we’ll just call him a friend, to make sure he pays.” Agent 18 said.

“Please,” Goku said. “Don’t hurt them, okay, they had nothing to do with it. It was a long time ago, they didn’t even know about it until today.”

“That’s not for you to decide.” 18 said, her voice low.

“How much do you want?” Beerus said. Goku realized Whis was standing behind him, and after a moment, he felt his handcuffs being fidgeted with. He stood very still. “Come on, I can pay more than whatever your friend is offering. Double? Triple?” Goku felt the cuffs come loose. He kept his hands behind his back so as not to draw attention.

“As much as we appreciate the offer, this job is about more than money.” 17 explained.

“People who kill FBI agents don’t get to walk around, living their lives freely. You murdered him, and we can’t forgive that.” 18 said.

“Agent Tao was a monster. I’m sorry I killed him, I never wanted it to come to that point, but I was trying to save—“

“Why do you think we care? Of course he was a bad person, we know all about it. We don’t care. It’s sort of a code, see. In the hierarchy of lowlife scum, agent killers are at the bottom tier.” 17 said.

“Lower than rogue agents who murder their own?” Goku said, an intensity rising in his voice. It caught Vegeta so off-guard that he almost didn’t notice Whis fidgeting with his handcuffs.

“Ooh, that was cold. Gero was hardly an agent though. More of a nuisance. He didn’t care about the murdered agent. He was as bad as you.” 17 said.

Agent 16 grabbed Whis by the arm. Vegeta’s cuffs were still on.

“This gentleman has been unlocking the suspects’ cuffs.” He said. Whis’ eyes were wide as he was pulled away, his own arms were free. He began to fight against Agent 16’s grip, one massive hand closed around Whis’ slender arm.

“I told you that one was trouble.” 17 said. 18 rolled her eyes.

“Let him go, you motherfucking—“

BANG!

“Beerus!” Whis cried.

“Fuck,” Beerus screamed. Agent 17 had shot him, grazing his arm with the bullet. Beerus fell to the ground but was shakily trying to stand again. “I-I’m okay, Whis. I’m fine.” He said. Whis didn’t seem comforted as he was pushed to the ground and had a gun aimed at his head.

“That was a warning shot,” 17 said. “And you,” he turned to Whis. “Stealing keys from a dead man. That’s...actually pretty clever.” He smirked.

“Stop it!” Goku screamed. “I told you, they have nothing to do with this. If you want to kill me, then kill me. Leave them out of it.”

“Don’t say that!” Vegeta cried. “This is insane, they can’t do this!”

“Vegeta,” Goku said. His voice was softer now. “It’s been really nice getting to know you. You’re a good guy. Better than you think.”

“Don’t talk like that! You’re not dying here, do you hear me?”

“Actually, he definitely is.” 18 said.

BANG!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
> 
> EDIT: Sorry this chapter is so much shorter than the others! It just felt like the perfect place to end it and I didn’t really think about the word count. I’ll try to make sure the next chapter doesn’t short-change you again lol


	5. Thanks for Saving My Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CW: Police, guns, violence, blood/gore, implied major character death, minor character death, misogynistic slur, homophobic slur, implied disabling injuries, let me know if you need anything else tagged! 
> 
> The confrontation with the FBI takes a turn for the violent and bizarre. It turns out a couple of rogue agents may be the least of their problems. How quickly can things turn upside down? As fast as you can say “creation at its utmost exemplary.”

Goku fell to the ground.

“Kakarot!” Vegeta screamed. He fell to his knees. Blood was pooling from the bullet hole in Goku’s chest. Vegeta crawled over to him. Goku’s breathing was shallow.

“It’s okay—Vegeta—this is—better—“

“No, it’s not, stop talking like that! You-you’re going to be fine, just stay with me!”

“Man—being—shot—in the—chest—hurts—is—this—what you—went—through?” Goku gasped.

“I think you got it a little worse than I did,” Vegeta said. He felt panicked, helpless, he couldn’t even try to put pressure on the wound to slow the bleeding because his hands were still cuffed. “Tell me your name. Is it Goku or Kakarot?”

“My—real—name is—Kakarot—I—started—going by—Goku—a few—years—back—You—can—call—me—what—ever—you like—best—“

“I like Kakarot.” Vegeta said. Goku smiled weakly.

“He was—going to—kill—my friend—“ Goku tried to take deep breath, but it made an awful rattling sound from his lungs. “I grew up in—a bad—neighborhood. Lots of—illegal—activity—you know? The Feds—tracked people—in the area—usually—just to—shake them down—My friend—Upa—his dad—sometimes—sold—weed—when they needed—extra cash—he wasn’t a bad—guy—they were just—really poor—Upa needed—school supplies—“ He groaned in pain, clutching his chest.

“Kakarot, you shouldn’t try to talk to much.”

“I want—you to know—the truth. I’ve never—been able—to tell—anybody—“ he forced in another painful breath. “Tao tried—to take—all of the money—from Bora—Upa’s dad—the money they needed—but Bora—couldn’t give it up—he wanted Upa to go—to school—and get a good—education—so he wouldn’t—have to live—like that—anymore—“ he coughed up blood and gasped heavily, trying to catch his breath.  
“Tao—grabbed Upa—said he’d—kill—him—if Bora didn’t—give up the money—Upa was—only 12—years old—I was scared—I tackled Tao—we wrestled over the gun—it went off—and Tao was—dead—“ Tears filled his eyes. The memory haunted him. Vegeta felt his heart aching for his friend.  
“I didn’t mean—to kill him—I didn’t want to—I just—wanted to—save Upa. But there were—witnesses—and the Feds—figured out—it was me. Bora—gave me as much—help as he could—to get me out—of town—I’ve been running—ever since—“ He reached a trembling hand up to rest on Vegeta’s shoulder. “I’m sorry—that I got—you mixed up—in this.”

“Shut up,” Vegeta said. “We can worry about that later.”

“I—really like—you—Vegeta—“ he wheezed. His hand dropped and his head lulled back.

“Kakarot? KAKAROT?” Vegeta cried. “KAKAROT!”

“Well, that was awfully dramatic.” Agent 18 said.

“Yeah, and anticlimactic.” Agent 17 frowned.

“Now that you have done what you came to do, we must complete our mission.” Agent 16 said. Agents 17 and 18 looked at each other in annoyance.

“Do we really have to?” Agent 17 groaned.

“How dare you,” Vegeta growled. They looked at him. “How dare you talk as if this didn’t happen. You killed him! He had done nothing to you and you killed him! You don’t even know what kind of person he was! You’re worse than animals, you corrupt pigs!”

“If you want to blame somebody, blame yourself. The only reason we knew you were at Beerus’ place in Coconut Grove was because we followed you from the detention center. Brilliant move, by the way, going to talk with another criminal while you’re being tracked by the FBI.” Agent 18 said. Vegeta felt an incredible pain rip through his chest.

He had done this.

It was his fault.

He couldn’t take his eyes away from Goku. There were so many things he didn’t get to say to him. So many things he could never tell him now.

Goku looked pale, his eyes closed, he almost looked like he was sleeping. He was beautiful, even covered in blood. Vegeta felt sick.

It wasn’t right. It wasn’t right that good people like Goku got pulled into these sick worlds and killed at a young age, while monsters got to live and roam freely, being hailed as heroes. It wasn’t right that people like Vegeta lived longer than Goku.

“We came to get Beerus and his closest associates. Our job is to uncover his operation. We must take the rest of them to headquarters.” Agent 16 said. Agent 18 shook her head.

“What a pain. They’re going to ask so many questions.”

“On the other hand,” Agent 17 smirked. “We could just kill them all, right? Starting with this troublemaker.” He pressed his gun against Whis’ head. Whis didn’t move. He was staring at Goku’s body. He looked lost.

“¡_Angelito_!” Beerus cried. He fell to his knees. The word wasn’t one Vegeta had ever heard before, it seemed to be ripped out of Beerus from the core of his being. “Please, please don’t hurt him. I can’t—I can’t lose him, too,” Beerus was shaking violently. “I’ll go with you. I’ll turn myself in. Okay? I’ll confess to everything but just leave these two out of it.” Agent 17 turned to Agent 18 with a smug grin.

“See? I told you, this one is the key. That’s why I said he was the one to grab.” He said.

“What do you want, a medal?” She asked.

“What do you think, 16? Does that sound like a reasonable trade?” 17 said. Agent 16 nodded.

“If Beerus is willing to confess, then I see no reason to bring the others in for interrogation. I accept this arrangement,” He said. He stepped over to Vegeta. “Please allow me to unlock your handcuffs, sir.” He said. Vegeta was lost. This didn’t feel real. This couldn’t be real. Everything was ending. Goku was dead. Beerus was going to prison. Vegeta was losing everything. He barely noticed Agent 16 helping him up to standing and unlocking his cuffs. He was still staring at Goku’s motionless body the entire time.

Agent 16 stepped over to Beerus.

“Please come with me, sir.” He said. Beerus nodded. As he stepped across the sand, Whis stood and ran over to him, throwing his arms around Beerus.

“Don’t do this, Beerus, please,” he said, his voice trembling. “They’ll kill you.”

“I’ll be fine, Whis. Look at me,” Whis pulled back to look him in the eye. “Have I ever lied to you?” He forced a smile. Whis shook his head, but he still looked scared. “I’m gonna be just fine, okay? Don’t worry.”

Everyone stopped and turned as a car pulled up to the scene. It was a similar black, unmarked car to the ones the agents were driving before.

“Who the hell is this?” Agent 18 said.

Suddenly Vegeta had a terrible feeling.

The man who stepped out of the car was dressed the same as the agents, but something about him made Vegeta’s skin crawl. Maybe it was his insect-like appearance, or something in his superior expression.

“Who are you?” Agent 17 asked. The man looked around.

“Quite an atrocious mess you’ve made here, agents. Duplicitous as well.” He said. His voice was deep and dramatic, as if he were putting on a show for an audience.

“He asked you a question. Who the hell are you?” Agent 18 demanded.

“Creation at its utmost exemplary. But you may call me Cell.”

“Cell? What’s your rank?” 17 asked.

“I’m afraid that’s only for authorized agents to know.” He said, looking down upon the agents as if he was disgusted by them.

“What are you talking about? We are authorized agents.” 17 said.

“No, you _were_ authorized agents. What you are now are treacherous rogues.” Cell said.

“What?” 18 gasped softly.

“I’ve been assigned to shadow you, especially you, 17 and 18. My obligation was to disinter if you were involved in any treasonous dealings. To effectuate this, I’ve placed recording devices in your vehicles. This has brought me scores of corroboration that the two of you have long been conspiring to forsake your committal and turn traitor on this organization, the power of which you have manipulated to suit your own, self-regarding predilections.” Cell explained.

17 and 18 looked at each other again.

“Do you read thesauruses for fun?” 17 asked. Cell shook his head, laughing in a way that seemed so condescending that Vegeta almost felt angry on behalf of the agents.

“My apologies,” said Cell. “I conjectured that as fellow agents, you must maintain a practicable level of comprehension.”

“How dare you—“ 18 said. Cell put a hand up to stop her.

“Allow me to elucidate without embellishment for the linguistically challenged present,” he said. 17 and 18 both glared. “I am here to arrest you for your treason against the FBI and the United States of America. There’s been reason to suspect both of you for quite some time, and now that I have an audiotape of you murdering your supervisory agent, there should be nothing in the way of getting the justice that is so clearly deserved here,” then, he began to laugh. It was haughty and despicable. Even hollow, as if he were pretending to sound like he had ever truly laughed before. “Of course, that would require me to take any interest in turning you in.”

“What are you talking about?” 18 demanded.

Cell looked at her, and waved his hand dismissively.

“I tire of following rules and regulations that hardly hold relevance. You there, Agent 16, I want you to remove the handcuffs of our remaining suspect.” Agent 16 looked uncertainly between 17 and 18 and Cell.

“Agent, this man is under arrest.” he said of Beerus.

“I won’t ask again,” Cell said, his voice taking a sinister tone. Agent 16 frowned, but unlocked Beerus’ handcuffs anyway. Whis grabbed his arm, the two of them dropping all pretense. “Now then, isn’t that much better? Unfettered. After all, what’s the honor in hunting captive prey?”

Vegeta felt his stomach knot. Whatever was happening, it wasn’t good.

“Hunting? You’re planning to kill us?” 17 asked.

“No one will miss rogue agents and some criminal lowlifes. Actually, I believe I’ll be doing the world a courtesy.”

“You’re insane. You can’t do this! We have the same rights as—“

“The same rights as that corpse over there,” Cell interrupted. “And nothing more,” He pointed his gun at Agent 17. All three agents pointed their guns at him, but he was unphased. “Go ahead and fire, agents. You cannot kill me.”

BAM!

Agent 17 was shot through the head. He fell to the ground in a slump, instantly dead.

“17!” Agent 18 screamed. It was an awful scream, the first genuine display of emotion Vegeta had heard from her. “You son a bitch!”

BANG!  
BANG!  
BANG!  
BANG!  
BANG!  
_Click_.

She emptied her gun into him. Cell laughed again, that horrible laugh.

“It’s a bulletproof vest. Didn’t you pass basic training?” He said. She looked pale and distraught.

“You killed my brother!” She cried.

“Don’t worry, my dear,” He said. “You’ll be joining him soon,” She threw her gun, which struck him in the face. He stood frozen awkwardly for a moment, as if he were in absolute disbelief that she would do such a thing. His face began to contort with rage. “You stupid little bitch! How dare you!” He snarled. He aimed his gun at her. Her eyes widened with fear and she took a couple steps backward.

“No!” Agent 16 cried. He lunged at Cell, trying to wrestle the gun out of his hands. Somehow, Cell knocked the massive man to the ground.

BANG!

He shot him. 16 clutched his head. It appeared that the bullet had only grazed his skull, but Cell barely seemed aware of what was happening, he was enraged.

“Pathetic! Worthless! You are nothing compared to me! Your vile existence could only be made deserving by me ending it! Every last one of you is the dirt upon which worms feast!” He roared.

BLAM!

Agent 18 fell, clutching her stomach and screaming.

“This is insane!” Vegeta cried. He didn’t mean to say anything, but he couldn’t bear to watch anymore. Cell turned to him, and his expression shifted from fury to unsettling calm.

“My good man,” he said. “A horse with a broken leg is shot so it does not have to suffer. These animals die because it is what they deserve. And they are not the only ones.” He looked between them, a sadistic smile on his face.

He took heavy steps toward Whis and Beerus, but it was clear his eyes were set on Whis. Whis was shaking his head as he scrambled to get away, but he did not stop. He grabbed Whis by the shirt and started to pull him away from Beerus.

“No!” Beerus screamed. He jumped at Cell, ready to fight to the death, it seemed. Cell had other plans. Still holding Whis firmly in his grip with one hand, he grabbed Beerus by the neck and dropped him to the ground. He stood on his throat, and Beerus couldn’t get free.

“Let him go!” Whis demanded. He was fighting with everything he had. It wasn’t enough.

Cell grabbed Whis by the hair and pressed his gun against his temple.

“It’s really a damn shame, Beerus,” Cell exclaimed. He had a horrific smile on his face. “Someone so pragmatic and clever as you willing to throw it all away just for some worthless cipher. Someone like you could almost have a purpose on this Earth and instead you’re willing to waste everything you have for _him_? I’ll teach you a lesson, Beerus. This is what you deserve for putting all your trust and care into someone who has no value. Caring for others is a fool’s game.”

“You sound bitter,” Whis said through gritted teeth. “No one ever cared for you, did they, you arrogant bastard?”

“I don’t need others to care for me. Unlike you, I don’t require approval from others. I am already all I desire to be.”

“Yes, you’re obviously well adjusted. That’s why you’re waving that gun around and killing everyone you disagree with. A big gun can’t make up for being small and worthless elsewhere, can it?”

Wap!

Cell hit Whis with the butt of his pistol. Whis cried out. Beerus, quickly running out of air, began to desperately claw at Cell’s leg, kicking and squirming to get loose.

“Shut up! Mouthy faggot!” He roared. “What’s the matter, Beerus? You don’t like it when I hit your bitch? Then I suppose you’re really not going to like what I do next.” He cocked his pistol.

Vegeta didn’t remember making the decision to move. It just seemed that suddenly he was running at Cell, full-speed. He knocked him off of Beerus, but Cell didn’t lose his grip on Whis. Vegeta grabbed at his gun. Cell’s eyes bulged with anger.

BLAM!

Vegeta felt the bullet burning through his stomach. The pain was blinding. He fell back against the sand. He could barely see. Everything seemed dim and faint. When he turned, he could barely make out the bloodstain where Goku used to be.

Wait, used to be?

Through the incredible pain, Vegeta forced himself to sit up and look around. Beerus was on the ground, clutching his neck, wheezing. Cell had Whis still, but he hadn’t shot him. He was screaming and ranting in a way that seemed distant to Vegeta through his daze.

BLAM!

Cell screamed. He finally let go of Whis as he fell to the ground.

Vegeta found Goku. He was on the ground, somehow still alive. He had managed to crawl to where Agent 17’s body lay. He had take 17’s gun and shot Cell, the bullet clearing his chest.

“I-impossible!” Cell cried. “You’re dead!”

“Yeah—“ Goku gasped. “I thought—so too—“

“Filth!” Cell pointed his gun at him.

BAM! The bullet struck Goku on the shoulder.

BAM! The bullet struck his stomach.

_Click_.

Cell looked down at his gun in shock. He had used up all his bullets. Goku tremulously pushed himself up to a half-seated position on the sand.

“Out of bullets—?” He said. “I think—that’s a sign—Cell. I think—it’s time—you—called it—quits. Just—walk—away—now—“

Even after everything, he still wanted to give Cell a chance to live.

Vegeta thought this was the stupidest thing he had ever seen.

“I don’t need bullets to choke the life out of you!” Cell roared. He began storming over to Goku.

BANG! Cell was shot in the chest again. He fell, then forced himself back up.

“Don’t make me—do this—“ Goku panted. Cell continued stomping toward him.

BANG! He shot Cell again in the chest. He fell again, then shakily pushed himself up again.

“Don’t—make me—kill you—“

“Do it if you think you can!” Cell bellowed.

BANG!

Cell was shot through the head. He collapsed to the ground. This time, he didn’t get back up.

Goku fell back down against the sand.

Whis was wrapped in Beerus’ arms, both of them shaking. Whis was letting out horrible sobs that sounded more like screams. Agent 16 was either unconscious or dead. Agent 18 was barely awake. Vegeta could barely move. He didn’t know if Goku was alive or not. He was too afraid to get his hopes up.

After a few minutes, Whis had calmed down. He helped Beerus up.

“Let’s get everyone to the hospital.” He said hoarsely.

They were methodical as the carried them over to one of the cars together, Beerus silently struggling with his injured arm. Agent 16 went in first. He was still unconscious. Goku went in next. Then Vegeta. Agent 18 was last.

“There’s not quite enough room for everyone,” Whis told her. “So you’ll have to sit on somebody’s lap, I’m afraid.”

“My brother,” she said weakly.

“We’ll tell the hospital where he is. I’m the only one in any condition to drive, so we can’t use more than one car and we don’t have the room. I’m sorry.”

“Why are you helping me?” She asked as he assisted her into the car. She painstakingly climbed onto Agent 16’s lap.

“Because it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “And because I think you learned a lesson today.”

Tears stung her eyes. She looked out at her brother’s dead body one more time before Whis closed the car door.

No one made a sound the entire ride to the hospital. Goku was passed out, but Vegeta could feel from his warmth that he was not dead. He wasn’t certain about Agent 16. He didn’t even want to look at Agent 18. If it had been up to him, he may have just left her to die.

They pulled up to the emergency room. Whis got the attention of some of the medical assistants to bring stretchers. A lot of stretchers.

“How did this happen?” One asked him while they loaded Agent 16 onto a stretcher.

“It’s...a long story.” Whis said.

“We have to report all gunshot wounds to the police. It may make it easier on you to just tell me now.”

“No, there’s no need to get the police involved, it was...”

“FBI,” Agent 18 said suddenly. The orderly looked at her in surprise as she shakily took her badge from her coat pocket. “The details of this incident are top secret. I can tell you who got shot, how many times, and approximately how long ago. All other details of this case are classified. Notifying the police would be a criminal violation.”

“Oh, I see,” he nodded. “Of course, Miss, I’ll make sure the staff knows not to report this.”

“Thank you,” Whis said.

Hours passed. Whis stayed by Beerus, who needed stitches and oxygen, but otherwise was okay. After a time, a nurse came in.

“Your friend would like to speak with you. The agent.” She said. Whis nodded. He followed the nurse to the room. Agent 18 looked markedly different now. Most of her makeup had been cried off. She was in a hospital gown and she looked a bit pale. Whis sat beside her.

“What’s happening?” He asked.

“Agent 16 is expected to make a full recovery. He got lucky. Most people don’t survive gunshots to the head,” she said. “Your guy Vegeta is also looking good, he’ll need a few weeks of rest but should be good as new.”

“That’s good news.”

“But they are concerned about Kakarot—Goku,” she corrected herself. “His injuries are more severe. His lungs are seriously damaged and one of the bullets got too close to his spine. He’ll need no less than a year of physical therapy, and even then, it’s not guaranteed he’ll ever regain full use of his legs.”

“Oh god,” Whis breathed. She swallowed hard.

“I know it’s meaningless now, but I’m sorry. I don’t know when I got so out of control. Seeing what Cell became, I’ve realized I was on that same path to becoming a power-crazed monster.”

“It’s never meaningless.” Whis said. She looked at him, then took a breath.

“I can protect everyone while we’re here,” she said. “And I can lie in my report. I’ll tell them everything was Cell. But...it won’t protect all of you forever.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not proud of this now,” she said. “I had already sent a report that says Goku admitted to killing Agent Tao. It would justify what we did. They won’t come after him while I’m still here, but I’ll have to go back to headquarters eventually, and when I go back without Goku, they’ll come looking for him. Unfortunately, federal prisons don’t have very good physical rehabilitation programs.”

“So if he gets arrested, he may never walk again?”

“Exactly.”

“Okay,” Whis nodded. “Beerus can probably make arrangements for him to go somewhere safe.”

“Beerus is my other concern. We were originally meant to be tracking him. We didn’t find much on him, but what we did find, we’ve already sent to headquarters.”

“What did you send?”

“His tax records, mostly.”

“Oh. That’s less than ideal.” Whis frowned.

“I know.”

“Okay. We’ll figure it out. Agent 18, I appreciate your honesty.” He said.

“Thanks. I appreciate what a badass you are,” She smirked. “You were telling Cell off even as you thought he was going to kill you.” Whis smiled a little too.

Vegeta limped slowly down the hall. It hurt to move. He wasn’t really supposed to move. But he couldn’t stay in his room anymore. Not after what Whis had told him.

He shakily sat down beside Goku. Goku looked a little surprised.

“Vegeta, you shouldn’t be moving,” he said sleepily. The painkillers were making him a little loopy. He had a silly grin on his face and he looked tired. “It’s bad for your bullets.”

“Kakarot,” Vegeta breathed. “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”

“Pfft, no. You didn’t shoot me. The ugly guy did.”

“You’re a clown.” He smiled fondly.

Beerus stood outside. Whis stepped out beside him. Beerus lit a cigar.

“Just getting some air. I hate hospitals.” He said. Whis nodded.

“So,” he smirked. “It’s been a long time since you called me _angelito_.” Beerus’ face flushed.

“Did I say that?” He muttered.

“I thought it was very sweet.” Beerus looked up at the stars.

“Whis,” He said. “I think I’m doing a really shitty job of protecting you.”

“Beerus,”

“You were never supposed to get hurt like that.”

“Me? You’re the one who got shot, not to mention nearly choked to death.”

“I couldn’t save you!” Beerus exploded. “I couldn’t stop him from hurting you. If Goku hadn’t magically come back from the dead, you would have—“ He paused as his voice broke. “What kind of man am I if I can’t keep you safe? I promised, and I failed to keep my promise.” Whis frowned and stroked Beerus’ ear gently.

“Beerus, it’s okay. Look, I’m here and alive. Barely a scratch on me. What happened today was a totally bizarre set of circumstances that will never repeat itself again.” Beerus shook his head.

“Jesus. You are amazing, you know that?” He gripped Whis’ hand and squeezed it. “I think I’ll stay at yours tonight.”

“Are you sure? Shelly doesn’t normally like it when you stay out so many nights in a row without even checking in.”

“It’ll be worth the argument. I don’t want to wake up and without your face next to me,” He said. Whis smiled. “_Te amo, angelito_.”

“_Te amo, mi cielo_.”

They were silent for a time, holding hands in the dark.

“What are we going to do about Goku?” Whis asked.

“He’s being admitted here tonight. Sounds like they’re wanting to keep him for at least a month. Agent 18 says she can protect him from being arrested for that long. After that, I’ll have to send him out of town.”

“Where to?”

“I’ll probably send him over to Champa. He owes me one.”

“Is it a good idea to keep him in the country?”

“I don’t know. But 18 said that if we keep as few people in the know about exactly where he is as possible, it may work.”

After he was released from the hospital, Vegeta was supposed to spend all his time resting. But things were still unsteady, with Goku needing to be sent away soon and Whis and Beerus still trying to sort everything out, he wanted to help as much as he could.

He visited Goku every day. Goku seemed grateful for it. Goku was even more restless than he was, and as it turned out, he had such a terrible fear of needles that it took five people to hold him still for his IV. He had to keep his IV covered with a blanket and looked nauseous anytime somebody drew attention to it. Vegeta wondered how someone so brave, someone who was willing to get shot and risk their life, could be so scared of a little needle.

Goku seemed like he didn’t want to worry about his spine being damaged, the possibility of not being able to walk anymore. He just shrugged.

“I’ll try my best at the physical therapy. If I do my best, then I’ll have nothing to regret, even if it turns out my legs don’t work anymore.” He said, as breezily as if he was discussing the weather.

Vegeta tried to apologize again, when Goku wasn’t on painkillers that made him high. Goku wouldn’t accept it. He didn’t see any of it as Vegeta’s fault. He wasn’t even angry that Vegeta had accused him of working with the FBI.

Vegeta stepped into the office. Bulma glowered.

“What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be at home, resting. You’re going to cause more damage to yourself by walking around all the time.” She said. It had been a week since the incident with Cell on the beach. After she had been filled in on everything that had happened, Bulma seemed to be fussing over everyone more than usual.

“I’m fine.” He grumbled.

“You are not fine. At least sit down.” She said. He sighed and sank into a chair. The new chairs that Whis picked out after the Frieza Force had destroyed the office were a lot more comfortable than the old ones. Goku probably would call that a blessing in disguise or something equally inane.

Vegeta smiled.

“Where’s Beerus?” He asked.

“In a meeting with Whis,” she said. “An actual meeting. Those two are all business lately. Think everything is okay between them?”

“They’re fine. Things got pretty shaky back there, I’m sure they’re trying to make sure it doesn’t go down like that again.” He said.

The intercom buzzed.

“Destroyer Industries, how may I help you?”

“Miami Police.” Vegeta and Bulma exchanged uncertain expressions.

“One moment, please.” She said. She stood and knocked on Beerus’ door.

“What?” Beerus said.

“The cops are here.” She said.

“They got a warrant?” He called back. She sighed. She crossed back to her desk and pushed the button.

“I apologize, officer, company policy is not to let police officers in without a warrant.”

“We have a warrant. We’re looking for a Mr. Beerus.” Bulma looked back toward the office door, where Beerus was poking his head out. She hesitated.

“Mr. Beerus isn’t here today.” She said.

“We’ll need to see that for ourselves. If you don’t open this door, you may be charged with obstruction of justice.” The man said. Beerus looked around.

“I really need to get an emergency escape in here,” He said. “Fine, send them up. Whis, stay in here.” He stepped out of the office. Whis immediately ignored Beerus’ request and followed him out.

“Of course, officer, come on up.” Bulma said. She pushed the button to unlock the door. Vegeta stood and stepped away. The officers opened the door unceremoniously.

“Mr. Beerus?” One of them approached Beerus.

“How can I help you?” He said.

“Put your hands on your head.”

“What is this about?” He asked, though he still complied. The officers began to search him for weapons, confiscating his gun.

“You are under arrest for tax evasion.” The officer told him. Beerus snorted.

“Tax evasion?” He laughed. “You hear that, Whis? Tax evasion!” He continued laughing as they handcuffed him. “¡_Estos pinches cerdos_! Whis, call my lawyer. I think we’re gonna be fine.” He said.

He was still laughing as the cops took him out the door.

Everyone stood frozen in silence. Whis slowly sank into a chair and buried is face in his hands.

“That’s not good.” He said.

After taking a moment to regain his composure, Whis stood up, crossed the room, and sat at Bulma’s desk. He shuffled through the Rolodex until he found the right card, then lifted the phone and dialed the number.

“Yes, Beerus has been arrested,” he explained after formalities. A pause. Whis’ expression changed. “What do you mean you can’t?” Another pause. Whis looked angry. “A funeral? No, I don’t care whose grandmother died, we need someone here now! Hello? Ah!” He slammed the phone down.

“His lawyer can’t help?” Vegeta asked. Whis folded his arms.

“Apparently he’s too busy with funeral arrangements to do his job.” He grumbled.

“So what can we do?” Bulma asked. Whis took a breath.

“I suppose I’ll have to call my sister.” He said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk if I’ve ever written anything as quickly as I wrote this chapter lmao. I actually made myself wait to upload it so I could go back over it and make sure it made sense. The pacing might be slightly weird here, sorry if it is. If I do ever go back over this story I might arrange these chapters a little differently but idk. 
> 
> I didn’t THINK I needed a Major Character Death tag for this, but if you disagree, please let me know and I will be happy to put the tag up for you. I would rather my stories be properly tagged and get less views than have them potentially triggering or hurting people. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you are still enjoying the story!


	6. Go Your Own Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CW: police, period-typical homophobia and internalized homophobia, implied disabling injuries, homophobic slurs, homophobic violence, lmk if you need anything else tagged 
> 
> Beerus has been arrested and may be going to prison. Goku is in the hospital and may never walk again, and soon he’ll have to go back into hiding on the other side of the country. Vegeta has some big shoes to fill, and some confusing feelings to confront. And Whis has run entirely out of patience for anyone’s bullshit. Other than that, everything is fine.

Vegeta didn’t know Whis had a sister, much less one who was a lawyer. He was even more surprised that she looked almost exactly like him. She seemed pleasant enough like him as well.

After Whis called, she booked the first flight to Miami. Vegeta, Vados, and Whis met Beerus at the detention center. Beerus looked tired, like he hadn’t slept much at all during his night in the holding cell.

“Vados, good to see you again,” he grinned.

“Likewise, Beerus, though I’m not a fan of the circumstances.” She said.

“Me neither. So how do we get me out of here?”

She paused as she read over the files.

“It looks like the IRS has indicated that based on your assets, you owe at least...two million dollars more than you paid just last year alone,” she frowned as she read the documents. “It’s cut and dry, I’m afraid. Obviously you haven’t reported your full income and you owe the IRS money. But we’re missing the big picture.”

“What’s that?”

“They don’t care that you haven’t paid your taxes. Most people with property on Millionaire’s Row haven’t paid their taxes. The fact is, they know what you actually do for a living but they can’t prove it. This is the only thing they could prove you’ve done, and chances are, the court is going to run with it.” Vados explained.

“So what can we do?” Whis asked. Vados took a breath.

“I can’t get you out of this. Actually, it would be stupid and a waste of time to fight it. The maximum sentence in Florida for tax evasion is three years, and I can guarantee that’s what they’ll give you.”

“You can’t help?” Whis cried.

“I didn’t say _that_,” she said, sounding almost offended. “I am still an attorney, after all. What I can do is get you into a minimum security prison, right here in Miami. It’s not exactly a luxury resort but you’ll have a private dormitory-style room and be allowed to walk around during the day. If they’re charging you for a white-collar crime, you’ll go to a white-collar prison.”

Beerus took a long drag of his cigarette.

“Three years, huh? Any chance of conjugal visits?”

“Not in a federal institution. If by some chance you were sent somewhere private, you may be allowed them, but only with your wife.” Vados explained.

“Damn.”

“Three years,” Whis echoed. “What are we going to do?”

“Hey, it’ll be fine,” Beerus said. “I’ll be right here in town, you can come visit me every day! I’ll still be running the business, I’ll just have to run it from here. Anything I can’t do from prison, you can do. And anything you don’t want to do, make _him_ do,” He gestured at Vegeta. “You won’t let anything happen to Whis, will you?”

It wasn’t really a question. Vegeta knew this. Beerus wouldn’t be able to protect Whis the way he promised he would from prison. So the promise was being transferred to Vegeta. Vegeta nodded.

“Of course. I’ll take care of anything you need.” He said.

Within a couple days of this meeting, Beerus’ arraignment has gone by. He pleaded guilty, and as Vados predicted, was given the maximum sentence of three years. She was successful in her request to have him serve his sentence in a local, minimum-security institution, where he would be sent after a few weeks of waiting.

Whis was very quiet after sentencing. When he stepped into the office, Bulma offered him hugs and reassurance. Vegeta didn’t have much to say. So, he was a little surprised when Whis asked him into the office. He sat on the opposite side of the desk. Whis was looking out the window.

“I get the impression you don’t like me very much.” Was the first thing he said after a long silence. Vegeta all but flinched.

“I-I—Uh...” he stammered. Whis’ expression wasn’t angry or accusatory. Actually, he seemed quite calm. Vegeta swallowed hard. “What is this about?”

“You and I are going to need to work together closely to keep things running smoothly. Beerus is trying to put on a front as if everything will be fine, but when word gets out that he’s in prison, rival gangs may start acting bolder, and things are going to get a lot trickier. There are things Beerus can’t do from a cell, things that I’m going to need your help with. Which means you and I will need to get along.” He explained. Vegeta hesitated.

“I don’t..._dislike_ you,” he offered.

“But I make you uncomfortable?”

“Do we have to talk about this right now?”

“Is there something more important you need to do?” Whis had a harsh edge in his voice. Vegeta sighed.

“No,” he said. “Fine, it’s just that...I don’t get you.”

“You don’t get me?” Whis echoed, his voice returning to a calm, non-judgmental tone.

“You can be—you don’t act like a man,” Vegeta spat out. Then, feeling a pang of guilt, he broke eye contact and muttered, “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I asked,” Whis said with a gentle smile. “Why does it bother you that I don’t act like a man?”

“Because,” He said. “You’re so obvious about being girly. You’re practically painting a target on yourself for no good reason. Every one of those FBI agents immediately pinpointed you as an easy prey! If you just acted normal, that wouldn’t happen. This is a dangerous world, I don’t know why you would make it harder on yourself.” Whis nodded as he listened. Vegeta thought he would be offended, but he didn’t seem to be. He paused to absorb what Vegeta had said.

“Forgive me if I’m making an assumption here, but it seems that you believe that my more feminine attributes are a show. For one reason or another, I’m purposefully behaving more flamboyantly than I truly am, advertising how queer I am to the world. Whereas someone like Beerus, who is also gay but more masculine than me, is being his authentic self. Is that correct?”

Vegeta had never really analyzed this thought process before.

“I guess so.”

“I wonder what it would mean, then, if the opposite were true? What if I’m being my authentic self, and someone like Beerus was hiding parts of himself away out of fear? Maybe there’s just too much of me to hide away,” Whis said. “But tell me, Vegeta, you’re a pretty masculine guy. Has that protected you from people who would view you as a target?” Vegeta looked to the floor. They both knew the answer to that.

“No.” He said. Whis leaned over the desk.

“I’m sorry to put you on the spot like this Vegeta. My intention isn’t to make you feel bad,” He said. Vegeta shrugged, still not making eye contact. “Do you know why I think people target me for their violence and anger? It’s not necessarily because they assume I’m weak. It’s because they see something in me that they dislike or are uncomfortable with in themselves. All too often, tough guys are only tough guys because they were told to be.  
“A little boy was told he’s not allowed to be a ballerina because that’s ‘for girls’ grows up to see someone like me doing all sorts of things that are supposed to be just ‘for girls,’ and he thinks how unfair that is. How dare I exist in a way that he was told he couldn’t? How dare I not even have the decency to be ashamed of it? Maybe a man feels a little funny around a friend of his and does everything in his power to squash that feeling down and make it go away, and then here I am, not doing that at all, even in a relationship with a man. Why do I get to be free of the same constraints he is consumed by?”

Vegeta scowled. He didn’t like this conversation. It was making him feel weird.

“Oh.”

“I think your concern is genuine, and I appreciate it, even if it is based in self-preservation. But I’m not going to change, and if we’re going to be working together, you need to accept that. Can you do that?”

“Yeah. I can do that.”

Things got a little easier after that. Whis seemed more at ease after their conversation. Vegeta still felt nervous around him, but for once, Whis didn’t seem to want to tease him about it.

Vegeta was surprised at how much work Beerus did in a day. Although the biggest decisions were still left to Beerus, there were a million smaller ones that he now had to make every day. Most of what needed to be done by Vegeta was the more physical aspects of the job, walking into potentially life-threatening situations that Beerus wouldn’t want Whis involved in directly. Vegeta didn’t mind, he was used to it. His job had gotten more dangerous, but as far as he was concerned, that just made it more fun.

He kept visiting Goku every day. Goku had progressed to being able to sit upright, and he was being fitted for a wheelchair. A temporary one, Vegeta hoped. Despite what Goku said, he couldn’t shake the guilt he felt. If he had just trusted him, he wouldn’t have done something so stupid as going to talk to Frieza, and he wouldn’t have been followed by the FBI, and those rogues wouldn’t have found their safe house, and Goku wouldn’t have been shot.

Goku seemed the same as ever, always smiling and acting goofy. He always lit up when Vegeta walked in. He would immediately start blabbering on and on about his day. The hospital was boring, he was counting down the days until they would let him out.

Days until he had to leave town.

He would push Goku’s wheelchair around the hospital while they chatted. Nurses would sometimes send them strange looks, but Vegeta ignored them. He didn’t care what they thought at this point. Goku was his friend, and he was going to do whatever he needed to make him happy.

Agent 18 came to check on him regularly, as well. Goku said that she and him had become friends. Vegeta still couldn’t trust her, but at the very least, she was keeping her word in preventing police from bothering Goku in the hospital, and she was trying to deter the FBI from looking into Goku any further. She seemed to know that Vegeta didn’t want to see her, as well, because the few times she was present when he came to visit, she immediately left without much notice.

The only exception was the last day of Goku’s hospital stay. Vegeta was in the waiting room, ready to take him home. Agent 18 sat beside him.

“What do you want?” He asked.

“You’re taking Goku to the airport today, aren’t you?” She asked.

“Of course.”

“Good. Then I guess it’s time for me to head back to headquarters.”

“Then go.” He grumbled. She didn’t seem bothered.

“I don’t expect your forgiveness. I don’t deserve it, and I don’t deserve his, although he gives it up pretty easily. But I feel like you should know that after I’ve closed out this assignment, I’m resigning.”

“Good,” he said. Then, after a moment’s hesitation. “I’m sorry you lost your brother.”

“Yeah, me too.”

Goku was wheeled out by a nurse. Vegeta felt himself smiling as soon as he saw him. After a moment, he felt Agent 18 looking at him.

“What?”

“Nothing.” She said.

“Hey, Vegeta, hey 18,” Goku grinned. Then, he looked slightly behind them. “Oh, hey 16!” He added. They turned to see Agent 16 approaching.

“Hello, Goku. Hello, Vegeta.” He said.

“I’m finally free!” Goku said, beaming. “Guess I have to leave town now, though,” He looked at Vegeta for a moment with a strangely soft expression. Then, he turned back to 16. “What are you gonna do? Go back to catching bad guys.” 16 shook his head.

“I do not believe this is the line of work I am best suited for. I will ask to transfer to a different department, perhaps I will work with technology or code-breaking.” He said.

“Technology? Like computers and stuff? That sounds cool.” Goku said.

“We should get going, then. Transfer requests are a lot of paperwork,” 18 said. She stood up. “Don’t take too long saying your good-byes.”

“Okay, 18. Bye! I’ll write you when I’m not in hiding anymore!” Goku said.

Vegeta could feel a rock in the pit of his stomach. He didn’t want to say good-bye. He pushed Goku along the boardwalk. Goku was smiling.

“It’s nice here. I’m going to miss it.” He said.

“LA has beaches too.” Vegeta said.

“Yeah, but they’re not going to be as nice as these beaches. Besides, I might not actually be in LA, Mr. Beerus said Mr. Champa will probably have me stay somewhere nearby just to be safe, or I might have to move around a lot,” he shrugged. “It’s too bad I won’t even be able to write or call. It’s going to feel pretty lonely out there.”

“I thought you’d be used to it by now, you’ve been on the run for so long.”

“That was before I met you.” Goku said. Vegeta froze for a second.

“Oh,” was all he could manage. Neither of them spoke for a moment. “We should go get started packing.”

They pulled in to the parking lot of his apartment building. Vegeta looked at it. It was a pretty typical apartment complex with outside entrances and two floors.

“Kakarot, tell me you live on the first floor.” Vegeta said. Goku frowned.

“Second. Darn, I didn’t even think about that. Having a wheelchair is hard. If I do end up needing it forever I’m going to have to make sure to get an apartment on the first floor. You’d think there would be something in place for people who can’t use stairs.”

“I guess I’ll have to carry you.” Vegeta muttered. It felt weird saying something like that to Goku. One of the bravest men he had ever met needing to be carried. If Vegeta were in his place, he thought the humiliation might have killed him. Goku didn’t seem too bothered, though. He just shrugged.

“Okay.”

Vegeta carried him in his arms. It was a little precarious going up the stairs this way. About halfway up, Goku laughed.

“Reminds me of when I had to carry you like this.” He said.

“That’s not funny,” Vegeta frowned. Goku just laughed more. Vegeta found himself smiling a little too.

He was going to miss that laugh.

He opened the door and set Goku on the couch. His apartment was small and a little bit messy. Vegeta got to work right away, packing clothes. Goku didn’t own a lot of things. He supposed he never felt settled enough anywhere to bother buying a lot of stuff. He did own a TV though.

“I guess you and Whis are gonna have to take care of all the stuff I can’t bring.” Goku said.

“It’ll be in storage until—if you come back.”

“Hey, I’m gonna come back. You’re not getting rid of me that easily. Anyway, thanks for helping me pack.”

“Hm,” was all Vegeta managed. It hurt. Packing hurt. He was watching all of Goku’s things disappear into bags, and soon Goku would disappear himself.

He didn’t want him to go.

He knew how stupid and selfish that was. Goku had to go. He had to keep out of the Feds’ line of vision, he had to heal his body.

But Vegeta didn’t want to be apart from him.

Things were chaotic with him around, and Vegeta felt things he couldn’t explain. The closer he got to him, the more confused he was, but he didn’t want it to stop. He would gladly let Goku drag him into Hell and he didn’t know why.

Before he knew it, he was packed and it was time to leave.

He carried Goku back down the stairs. Goku was so warm, and he had such a strong grip. Vegeta found he kind of liked holding him, although he wished it was in a different situation.

Vegeta barely spoke on the drive to the airport. Goku occasionally mused about what he was going to do in Los Angeles, where he would go, what he wanted to see. Vegeta would reply with a “mm-hmm,” or “mm-mm,” or even just “mm.” His heart was aching more the closer they got to the airport.

He pulled in to the parking lot. After shutting the car off he paused, staring at the airport building for a time.

“You’re going to be gone for at least two years, right?” Vegeta said. Goku nodded.

“Probably more like three, 18 said it would definitely be safest for me to come back when Mr. Beerus gets out of prison.” He said. Vegeta nodded slowly.

“Kakarot, I’m...I’m going to miss you.” Goku looked a little surprised.

“I’m going to miss you, too. I’m really going to miss you.” He replied.

Vegeta felt he had stepped outside of himself for a moment and let pure instinct take over as he spoke.

“I want to kiss you.” He said. Goku’s eyes went wide.

“Okay,” he muttered.

“I’m going to do it. If you say I can then I will kiss you, Kakarot.” It sounded almost like a threat.

“Okay,” Goku said with more conviction this time. He knew what he was saying. He knew what he was agreeing to.

Vegeta could feel his own heartbeat in his ears and down to his fingertips as he turned to face Goku properly. He grabbed his face and leaned in for a kiss.

It was nothing like their first kiss. This was slow and passionate and intense. Vegeta leaned over him, stroking his face as his lips moved against Goku’s. Goku wrapped his arms around Vegeta’s strong shoulders, gasping softly as their embrace sent shocks through his body.

After what seemed like a long time, Vegeta pulled back. Goku’s eyes seemed to be sparkling. They were frozen, staring at each other, both in some disbelief that they had just done that. Vegeta straightened up first.

“We should go, we don’t want to be late.” He said.

“Y-yeah. Okay.”

He wheeled Goku into the building. They went straight to the gate, and after showing the attendant the fake ID Beerus had provided for him, as he was flying under a fake name, he was ready to go.

“Good-bye,” Vegeta said softly as Goku started to wheel himself away.

“Good-bye, Vegeta!” He smiled back.

Vegeta felt strange as he walked back to the car. Almost like everything that had just happened was a bizarre dream and he was expecting to wake up any moment now. As soon as he sat in the driver’s seat, everything hit him at once.

Goku was gone. He would be gone for years. Possibly forever. He was going to miss him. He kissed him. He liked him. He liked him too much.

“_Fuck_!” He screamed, loud and long. He punched the steering wheel. “_FUCK_!” He screamed until he was exhausted. After his throat was sore and he was out of breath, he sat back limp against the seat. He started the car, glancing briefly at where he had kissed Goku, and then drove away.

When he got to the office, he must have looked quite lost and sad, because Bulma had a concerned expression.

“Are you okay?” She asked.

“I’m fine.” He said hoarsely. She didn’t believe him, it seemed, as she stood up and crossed the room. To his surprise, she pulled him into a hug.

“Everything is such a mess,” she said.

“Yeah,” he didn’t hug her back. He appreciated the gesture, though.

It took weeks for the numbness to wear off. Things felt very odd. He expected to see Goku walk in at any moment. He even found himself missing Beerus more than he expected to, although he still saw Beerus most days in brief, one-hour visits.

It was an art, really. He and Whis would usually go together, greet Beerus with a hand-grab that turned to a quick one-armed hug, each time passing something to Beerus that he was not supposed to have. The minimum security prison meant he had his own room with plenty of hiding places, but it was searched and inspected regularly. Then, they sat down to discuss business. They used coded language, “property” instead of “cocaine,” “buying out” instead of “putting a hit on,” that sort of thing. Beerus would complain about how boring it was. There were classes and religious studies that he did just to have something to fill his days. He always looked at Whis with a slightly sad glint in his eyes. Vegeta wondered what was worse, not being able to see or speak to someone you missed at all, or being able to see them but not touch them or talk to them the way you wanted, after being together for years.

Whis was often quiet after visiting Beerus. He wanted to seem strong, but it was clear that it was hard on him.

“Want to go get drunk?” Vegeta asked him after one visit. Whis looked a bit surprised.

“Are you sure?”

“You seem like you could use it. I know I sure as hell could.” He said. Whis pondered for a moment.

“Sure.”

Whis insisted on choosing the spot. Vegeta didn’t argue, though he had the terrible feeling they were going to a gay bar. It was a quiet, cozy little spot, surprisingly classy. From the moment they entered, Vegeta felt at least a dozen sets of eyes on them. This made him a little uneasy as he ordered drinks. He could still feel half the bar patrons staring at him as he carried the drinks back to the table.

Whis was lighting a cigarette. Vegeta sat across from him.

“Why is everyone staring?” He asked. Whis gave a tired smile.

“I usually come here with Beerus, so I imagine some of the regulars are trying to figure out who you are,” he said. “Although I wouldn’t discount the possibility that some of them are just looking for pure aesthetic appreciation.”

“You mean they think I’m...uh...” Vegeta felt his face go red.

“Attractive? It’s possible.”

“Oh,” Vegeta looked around, feeling strangely nervous. Somehow it had never occurred to him before this moment that he might be attractive to other men. It was a little surreal to think of.

Considering his recent encounter with another man.

He shook off the thought.

“How are you holding up?” He asked. Whis was sipping his drink.

“Fine, really.” He said.

“You’ve been quiet lately.”

“Have I?” Whis stirred the ice cubes in the Collins glass absentmindedly. “I’m fine most of the time. During the day when we’re busy with this and that. It is hard to see him every day but we can’t really...be together. I can’t hold him or kiss him or even just tell him that I love him. But at least I get to see him. It’s harder when I get home at night. It’s not like he always stayed over, but he did several nights per week, and now I can’t even look forward to it. My apartment is so quiet without him, and then it all hits me at once, that I won’t be able to have him with me again for years, and that I miss him, and that I’ve spent all day not missing him enough so I feel guilty. Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?”

“No, not ridiculous.” Vegeta said. Actually, it was sounding eerily familiar. Vegeta, too, found that as long as he kept himself busy, he felt okay. But when he got home at night and had nothing to do but lay in the silence with his thoughts, he missed Goku so much. He even recognized feeling a sense of guilt for not missing him more.

“What about you? You’ve been different since Goku left.” Whis said. Vegeta shrugged.

“It’s nothing. It’s just different without him. Easier to get work done.” He said. Whis studied him. Vegeta always got the unsettling feeling that Whis could read his thoughts. This time, it seemed, he wouldn’t press the issue.

“You’ve been doing a good job. It’s not easy to fill Beerus’ shoes.”

“It’s not so bad. Didn’t realize how much he has to do. He always made it seem like the hardest part of his job was deciding how many bumps he was going to need to get out of bed in the morning.” He said. Whis laughed.

“Yes, I think appearing effortless is the thing he puts the most effort into in a day.” He said.

A couple drinks had Vegeta feeling more relaxed. He didn’t want to get too drunk, so he switched to water. Whis was talking more and seemed a little more like his usual self. Vegeta wasn’t sure when it happened, but it seemed like as much as he didn’t “get” Whis, he had started to consider him a friend.

“You know what Beerus told me in his letters? Frieza was in the same detention center he was the whole time, but he had to stay in solitary confinement.” Whis said.

“Really?”

“Mm-hmm, corrupt cops don’t do well behind bars, especially considering most of the people in there are there because of him. It seems every time he was out of solitary, somebody tried to kill him. His lawyers are trying to get him sent to a prison on the other side of the country just to avoid more of that, but he’ll probably still have to spend most of his time in solitary,” Whis paused for a moment. “I guess that’s probably what would happen to me, too, if I had been arrested.”

“Why would you have to be in solitary?”

“You know they call it the queen tank in some places, don’t you?” He said. “They put gay men in solitary to protect them from people who think they’re easy targets for...one thing or another.”

“Oh,” Vegeta said. He actually hadn’t known that. “You don’t think Beerus has to worry about that, do you?”

“No, I’m sure he’s king of the castle in there,” he laughed. “He can bury himself in so many layers of denial it’ll make you dizzy. Plus, mobsters usually get treated pretty well in prison. Apparently he’s got the nicest dorm in the prison. Everyone is scared that if they piss him off, he’ll have a hit put on them. That includes a lot of the guards.”

“That’s probably good. Hard to imagine him in a dorm, though.”

“Right? He said it’s the closest thing to college he’ll ever do.” He laughed.

“Doesn’t sound too bad. Remind me to call your sister if I ever get arrested.”

“Oh, that reminds me, we need to stop by to see Shelly tomorrow.” Whis said.

“Shelly?” Vegeta choked.

“Yes, Beerus wants us to check in on her. Apparently she’s worried that the whole business is going to fall apart. He wants us to go and reassure her.”

“Is that a good idea? I mean, for you, won’t she figure out something is going on?” Vegeta asked. Whis laughed.

“I’ve known Shelly for years. She’s never suspected a thing. Well, she suspects Beerus is having an affair, but she’s never once thought it might be with me. She’s suspected secretaries, assistants, mail girls, even once a waitress who was a little too friendly towards him, but never me. I don’t think she’ll ever guess what Beerus is really into.”

“What about—Sorry, never mind.” Vegeta stopped himself. Whis raised an eyebrow. “It’s nothing.”

“Well now I _have_ to know what you were going to ask.” He said. Vegeta sighed.

“Fine, but don’t blame me if you’re offended,” he said. Whis just looked bemused as he sipped his drink. “I was going to ask if you’re worried about Beerus...being in a mens’ prison...”

“And you think he might sleep with someone else?” Whis finished the thought for him. Vegeta shrugged. “We’ve talked about it in letters. He says even if the prison weren’t stocked with—and I’m quoting here—‘some of the ugliest motherfuckers he has ever seen,’ he still would never sleep with any of them. But honestly, I’m not worried. I realize this is a strange thing to say about a married man, but he’s always been faithful to me. He even tries not to sleep with his wife as much as he feels like he can get away with it. She actually made him go to the doctor thinking he had some sort of problem.” he laughed.

“Does he worry about you?”

“Sometimes. He’s not an excessively jealous person, but it does bother him sometimes. But I don’t want anyone else. I love Beerus, the thought of being with anybody but him seems too awkward at this point.” He said.

They stepped outside together, and were barely a few feet from the door when they heard the clicking of a pistol cocking.

“_Levanta las manos, maricón_,” a man said, aiming a gun at Whis. Whis was unimpressed and lit a cigarette.

“The last person who called me that never walked again,” he said coolly. “I wonder if you’ll fare better.”

Vegeta realized he was up. He drew his own gun.

“Drop it,” he demanded.

“¡_Que te jodan, mama pinga_!” The man shouted back. Whis laughed.

“Oh my,” he said.

“¡_Cállate, no te metas conmigo_!” The man put his finger over the trigger. Whis looked at him for a moment, then, to the surprise of both the would-be attacker and Vegeta, he kicked, his long leg knocking the gun out of the man’s hand. The man staggered back as Whis caught the gun and pointed it at him. He tripped and fell to the ground, staring up at him in shock.

“Tell your boss,” Whis said, taking a drag of his cigarette. “That this _maricón_ isn’t going to go down from one sewer rat with a pea shooter. Tell him if he wants what Beerus has, he’s going to have to work for it. _Fuera de mi vista_. Now.” The man scrambled up and ran.

Vegeta was stunned for a moment. He shook his head.

“Are you alright?” He asked.

“I’m fine. Really, though, they thought that’s all it would take? One thug? If anything, I’m insulted.” Whis replied.

Vegeta drove Whis home as he was still fairly drunk. Whis seemed mostly unaffected by the attempted attack, and the conversation drifted to all sorts of various topics. When they pulled up to his building, Vegeta offered to help him up to his apartment. Whis shook his head, smirking.

“No, I’ll be alright. Who knew you could be such a gentleman?” He said. Vegeta felt his face flush.

“I-I just thought, after what happened—“ he stammered. Whis laughed.

“No need to be embarrassed. I appreciate it. Beerus will be glad to know you’re taking such good care of me.” He said.

Vegeta didn’t get much sleep. A rival gang member attempting an attack on Whis wasn’t a good sign. Although it wasn’t a successful attack, it showed that they were feeling bold. And the fact he was targeting Whis made Vegeta nervous. What was his plan? Was he going to take Whis hostage and hold him for ransom? Torture him for information? Kill him to weaken their resources?

None of these were good possibilities.

Despite the fact that Whis had proven he was capable of taking care of himself, it was still Vegeta’s job to protect him. He had promised Beerus. And he felt somewhat responsible for Whis now.

The following morning, he went to pick up Whis and take him back to his car. Then, they went to meet Shelly.

Vegeta had met and spoken to Shelly before. She was always polite with him and seemed nice enough. But he was rather surprised when she gave Whis an enthusiastic greeting and a hug.

Whis did all the talking. They spoke like old friends, and he explained all the business plans, estimates, like he was a company financial advisor, not someone who had personally taken out an armed gangster just a few hours before. When all was done, she invited Whis to a party she would be attending that weekend. Whis politely declined.

When they got outside, Vegeta found himself staring at Whis.

“You’re wondering how I live with myself, right?” He said. Vegeta started.

“No, I was just—“ he stopped when he saw Whis’ expression. He sighed. “Doesn’t it bother you? To have a conversation with her?”

“It used to. I do feel bad that she wants so badly to be my friend. But of course that would be disastrous,” Whis looked down briefly. “I don’t like it. But I can’t force Beerus to leave her.”

“Can’t you tell him it bothers you?”

“Do you think he doesn’t know?” Whis smiled sadly. “Like I said, he’s afraid. For all I know, he always will be.”

After some time, things started to become routine. Although Vegeta still missed Goku so much it ached, he found some consolation in his newfound friendship with Whis. He got more used to his new position and all his new duties.

As Whis predicted, the rival families were getting bolder, and work got more intense. Drive-bys were becoming frequent on both sides. Decisions were getting more complicated. Somehow, Vegeta found, he was quite enjoying it. The more difficult and dangerous the work, the more he thrived.

The only thing he wasn’t enjoying were the rumors.

Two years in, it was common knowledge that Beerus was locked up, and now Vegeta was taking his place, working alongside Beerus’ lover.

Vegeta sat down in the visitor’s room chair, arms folded, huffing.

“What’s with you, sunshine?” Beerus asked with a smirk. He was a little paler since he had been incarcerated, and had lost some weight from his already slim frame from the poor quality food. Otherwise, he seemed the same. He still got a sad glint in his eye when he saw Whis, but he smiled broadly throughout the entire visits. Seeing Whis was the highlight of his day, even if it hurt to not be able to express how he felt about him.

“Vegeta’s a little upset about some...assumptions we’ve been hearing.” Whis explained.

“Idiots have nothing better to do then spread this nonsense around!” He grumbled.

“What? What are they saying?” Beerus asked as he lit a cigarette.

“Well, most people are aware that Vegeta has taken over many of your responsibilities in the business. It seems that some are under the impression that those include me.” Whis said. Vegeta’s face flushed.

“What, like they think you’re fucking?” Beerus asked.

“I’m afraid so.” Whis nodded. Beerus snorted and laughed.

“Oh, that’s a good one! Well, Vegeta, you did say you’d take care of his needs, didn’t you?” He guffawed. “I gotta say, you’re really going above and beyond taking my place!”

“It’s not funny, it’s humiliating!” Vegeta cried.

“Oh, come on, Vegeta. It can’t be that bad. It’s not like that many people know about me and Whis anyway.” Beerus said dismissively.

Vegeta rolled his eyes, feeling that it wouldn’t be worth trying to explain how untrue that was to Beerus right now.

“Any word from Champa?” Whis asked. Vegeta perked up suddenly.

“Oh, you know Champa. Mostly complaining. He says Goku is doing well. He’s even started running and lifting weights again,” Beerus said. Vegeta beamed. The only information he got about Goku was from Champa’s seldom updates. Last he heard, several months ago, Goku was on crutches, just beginning to practice walking short distances without them. To hear that he was running was such an overwhelming relief, he could have collapsed. Beerus seemed to notice his excitement. “We got one year left, kids. Then things will be back to normal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I’m so sorry that it took so long to get this chapter out! I have a hard time with chapters like this, and I ended up hitting a wall so to speak. I’m feeling a little more back in my rhythm now so hopefully the next chapters won’t take as long. I hope you’re all enjoying it still.


	7. Bat Out of Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CW: period-typical biphobia, internalized biphobia, period-typical homophobia, internalized homophobia, misogynistic slur, mentions of drugs, violence, and murder, let me know if you need anything else tagged. 
> 
> Three years are up, and Beerus is finally out of prison. Now everything can go back to normal and nothing bad will ever happen again. Until an unexpected visitor arrives. Featuring Vegeta’s opinions about James Bond movies.

Whis was glowing with excitement, a grin plastered across his face as he stood beside the car. He barely seemed able to hold still. Vegeta was pretty excited himself. Since it was a minimum-security prison, there was only one fence between them and the building, but it was very tall and had barbed wire at the top. Whis kept looking at the doors the prison, searching for any sign of movement.

“Excited?” Vegeta teased. Whis giggled.

“I still can’t believe this is happening. It almost doesn’t feel real,” He said. Vegeta knew what he meant. Three years were finally up. With all that had changed in that time, it was starting to feel like it was all permanent. But today, Beerus was being released, and things were going to start going back to the way they were before.

“What do you think he’s going to want to do first?”

“Well, he’s a simple hedonist. My guess is, it’ll be food, drugs, or me.”

“Or all three at once.” Vegeta offered.

“That sounds about right,” Whis laughed. “Oh, I see him!”

Sure enough, the prison door opened, and Beerus walked out. He was beaming, one hand in his pocket, the other holding his jacket over his shoulder. He was being escorted to the gate by a single guard, who looked nervous. The gate opened, and Beerus turned to say goodbye to his escort. He stepped out, and the gate buzzed again, closing behind him. He continued toward them, but his eyes were dead set on Whis. As he approached, he pulled his jacket up over his head. In a surprisingly smooth motion, Whis took the jacket and threw it over both of them, concealing them from prying eyes as they kissed.

After a moment, Beerus popped out from under the jacket-curtain.

“Vegeta, get me the hell away from this place.” He said.

“Of course, sir.” Vegeta said with a smile. He climbed into the driver’s seat. Beerus opened the door to the backseat and playfully pushed Whis in, climbing over him.

“I wouldn’t recommend looking back here for this ride,” Beerus said. “Whis and I have three years of making up to do.”

“Yeah, yeah, just tell me where I should be taking you.”

“Mm,” Beerus pulled away from kissing Whis. “Take me to Little Havana, I need some decent food. Then back to Whis’. You got some coke, right?” He asked Whis. Whis laughed.

“I guess you were right, Vegeta. All three at once.” He said. Vegeta couldn’t stop himself from smiling a little.

“Huh? What are you talking about?” Beerus asked. Whis grinned and stroked Beerus’ face softly.

“Nothing, _papí_. You are just perfect.” He said. Beerus didn’t seem any less confused, but forgot all about it as Whis pulled him in to resume kissing.

Vegeta dropped them off at Whis’. They had been making out like teenagers in the backseat the whole way. Vegeta found he wasn’t all that bothered by it. He could hardly fault them, knowing how amorous the two of them were, he imagined three years must have felt like a torturous eternity.

After they left his car, though, and he was sitting in the silence, he began to feel an empty sadness in the pit of his stomach.

Whis had Beerus back. Which was unquestionably a good thing. But Vegeta was still without Goku.

Not that what he and Goku had was anything like what Whis and Beerus had.

Not that he and Goku “had” anything.

Spending three years with someone as open as Whis had all but forced Vegeta to confront some things about himself he probably would have otherwise never acknowledged. He even told Whis about kissing Goku, the second time. Whis teased a little but was mostly non-judgmental about it. He even used a term to describe what Vegeta may have been experiencing.

“Bisexual.”

Vegeta immediately recoiled from it.

“That’s just a term kids use today to make themselves sound special or different. I bet when you get down to it, most people who call themselves that are either straight and just want to be trendy or gay and just don’t want to admit it.” He said. Whis studied him for a moment, smirking slightly.

“That could be,” he said. “Although, if bisexuality is a real thing that people can experience, it would describe you remarkably well, wouldn’t it? Experiencing attraction to women and men.”

Vegeta shook it off, doubling down on his disagreement with that term.

But it had been more than a year since that conversation, and it rang in his head every day.

He has tried to research what this so-called “bisexuality” was. Most of what he found seemed to agree with his assessment, it was a trend, or sometimes a way for gay people to deny being gay. Some of the information he found, however, supported Whis’ assessment that it was people who truly were attracted to men and women, and that this was something that had been documented throughout history.

Vegeta felt uncomfortable when he read that stuff.

He ultimately decided to stop trying to put a name to it, or really figuring it out at all. It probably would never end up mattering. He still didn’t know if he was ever going to see Goku again.

He didn’t hear from Beerus or Whis for three days. He had expected as much. But then, he received a call from Beerus.

“Hey, I need you to pick up a contact at the airport.” Beerus said.

“What am I, a chauffeur?” Vegeta grumbled.

“Don’t be difficult. You got anything better to do?”

“Fine. What time?”

“Tomorrow at 2:30.”

“What’s his name?”

“Don’t worry about that, he’ll know how to find you.” Beerus said.

“Why so vague?” Vegeta asked.

“What’s with the twenty questions? Did you forget while I was locked up that I’m the one in charge? Do as you’re told.” He snapped.

“Fine!” Vegeta growled and hung up.

He was still annoyed as he drove to the airport the next day. Beerus didn’t normally play silly mind games. Maybe he was feeling threatened about Vegeta having more or less held his position for three years with little trouble, even as things got more difficult. Maybe prison had just turned him into a prick.

Vegeta stood by the gate he was told to go to. He didn’t bother looking at the passengers as they filtered out. He had no idea what this person looked like, but Beerus had claimed he’d know how to find Vegeta. So he stood, arms folded, staring out the window at the tarmac.

“Hey Vegeta!” A voice said. An almost too familiar voice. He turned, slowly, and there he was.

Goku stood before him, grinning broadly.

“K-Kakarot!” Vegeta cried. He was dumbfounded, staring up at him in confusion. No. There was no way Kakarot was right in front of him right now. Kakarot was in Los Angeles with no plans of if or when he would return.

But he was. Smiling that same, goofy smile he had the first day he met him.

“Surprised?” Goku asked.

“I-I didn’t—Beerus didn’t tell me you were the one I was supposed to pick up!” He stammered. Goku giggled.

“I know! We thought it’d be funny to surprise you. Got you good, didn’t we?” He said. Suddenly, Vegeta felt embarrassed. If he had known it was Goku, maybe he would have dressed differently. Or brought a gift. Or...something other than stand around looking irritated.

“Y-you idiot! I had half a mind to not even come here, then where would you be?” Vegeta snapped, knowing his anger was completely misdirected and made no sense at all. Goku didn’t seem bothered. He just shrugged.

“Aw, I knew you wouldn’t do that. Come on, I’m supposed to go check in at the office.”

They walked to the car together. Vegeta felt his heart racing. Goku was back.

They sat in the car, the same way they had three years ago. When Vegeta kissed him.

Goku was smiling brilliantly. Vegeta felt like he was in a whirlwind. He was so happy. He was so confused. He was so scared. He was so angry. Vegeta looked at him tersely. Goku didn’t seem phased at all. He was looking out the window.

On the drive, Goku went on and on about his adventures in California. Champa’s business, it seemed, was mostly in illegal gun trade. Which meant Goku was spending a lot of time going back and forth over the Mexican border, moving guns from Tijuana into the US. According to him, it was way more work than anything Beerus had him do. Of course, he had really only done it for a year. He spent most of his time healing and doing physical therapy. He said it was boring, but he had totally regained motion in his legs and was mostly pain-free.

When they arrived at the office, Bulma greeted Goku enthusiastically with a hug. She caught him up on most of the things he missed. Vegeta figured she would be better at that than he would. After she had explained everything, Goku asked,

“Is Mr. Beerus in?”

“Nah, we’ve barely seen him or Whis since he got out of prison. You’d think they’d have to come up for air eventually.” Bulma said. Goku frowned.

“He said to meet him here.”

“Well, you know Beerus. He’ll show up exactly when he says he will, or within six hours of it.” Vegeta said.

“I heard that, you little shit,” Beerus said as he walked in. “Sorry I’m late, I had to stop by home so Shelly could yell at me.” Whis stepped in after him. They both looked very tired, but very happy.

“You really should have stopped by the day you got out. She thought you got arrested again. Or killed.” Whis said.

“Yeah, well, I was a little busy the past couple days,” Beerus smirked. “Goku! Welcome back, kid.”

“It’s good to be back, Mr. Beerus.” Goku smiled. Vegeta could feel Whis looking at him, and dared to make eye contact. Whis was giving him a knowing look, raising his eyebrows. Vegeta huffed and looked away.

“Glad to see you on your feet again, Goku. Vegeta was awfully worried about you.” Whis said. Vegeta blanched.

“You were?” Goku asked. Vegeta felt his face go red.

“W-well, of course,” he stammered. “What kind of work could you do if you can’t walk? You’d have to take Bulma’s job.”

“Yeah, right, like any of you could function without me.” Bulma said, sitting on her desk.

“She’s right. Besides, she knows too much.” Beerus said.

Vegeta felt a strange giddiness taking Goku to lunch. Goku happily chomped on his burger. Vegeta tried to focus on a conversation topic.

“How did you like working Champa?” He asked.

“He was great. He’s a lot like Mr. Beerus, only kinda high-strung,” Vegeta nodded. That had been his experience with Champa as well. “I’m glad to be back in Miami, though. I like it here. LA just wasn’t the same. I like the work here better, too,” he set his burger down and wiped his face on a napkin. He looked at Vegeta for a second. “I missed you, too. A lot.”

Vegeta couldn’t speak for a moment. He felt like there were a million things he should have said, but he couldn’t find any words. Anything he would have said would have been too much. Revealing too many feelings.

“Work would have been easier with you here. Though Beerus is so busy making up lost time with Whis, you may get an idea of what it’s been like since you were gone.” He said. Goku nodded. He looked thoughtful for a moment.

“Can I ask you something?” He said. Vegeta swallowed.

“Sure.”

“Can Whis and Beerus get married? If Beerus actually did divorce his wife, I mean.” Vegeta was a little startled by the question. It took him a moment to process it and answer.

“Uh, no. They can’t.”

“How come?” Goku asked. He seemed genuinely curious. He looked at Vegeta with wide eyes. Vegeta felt his head spin. It was complicated. It was complicated in ways that Vegeta wasn’t sure he could explain to Goku properly. Religion, fear-mongering, the Florida Orange Juice bitch going on television and saying homosexuals were recruiting children, it was a long and twisted history. While Goku was gone, the state of Florida, among others, had banned same-sex couples from getting married, despite the fact that it hadn’t been allowed before.

“It’s...complicated. But it’s against the law.”

“That seems unfair, doesn’t it?” Goku said.

“Yeah. It does.” Vegeta said. He hadn’t really thought about it much. But lately, it was something that had been in the news. Gay couples wanted the right to be married. State governments were making it very clear that it would never happen. Vegeta had never spent much time considering this because he never intended to marry a man.

He still never intended to marry a man, of course.

“Hey, I was wondering, do you want to see a movie this weekend? There’s a new James Bond movie out. I bet it’ll be fun.” Goku grinned. Vegeta stared felt his face flush.

Was he asking him out on a date?

“Are you asking me out on a date?” He blurted. Goku looked a little pale.

“Uh...”

The waitress approached their table with the bill. Goku gave her his card and said he would be paying for both meals. Vegeta felt his stomach flip.

Was _this_ a date?

This, Vegeta did not say out loud. Goku drank the last of his milkshake and then changed the subject without answering Vegeta’s question.

“I wonder what Beerus is going to have us doing now that he’s out. Bulma said things got pretty hectic without him, so I bet there’ll be a lot of cleaning up to do.” He said.

“Yeah,” Vegeta muttered. “I bet.”

They didn’t go to the movies. Goku never brought it up again, and Vegeta was left with the question gnawing in the back of his mind. He tried to tell himself it was fine. It was a good thing they didn’t go.

Vegeta didn’t like this new actor as much as Sean Connery, anyway.

Vegeta went in to the office a few days later. Goku was there chatting with Bulma. Beerus was late. Again. Vegeta knew how much he and Whis had missed each other, so he found it hard to be angry at them for their constant lateness, even if it was getting annoying.

Vegeta plopped into a chair and opened the newspaper.

“Hey, Vegeta,” Goku said. Vegeta put the newspaper down to find that Goku was much closer to him than he expected.

“What?”

“When’s your birthday?”

“Why would you need to know that?”

“I’m just curious. It’s not that weird of a question, is it?” Goku said. Vegeta sighed and picked the newspaper back up.

“Next month.”

“Whoa, really? Are you going to celebrate it?”

“No.”

“What? Why not?”

“Because I’m not a child, Kakarot.” He felt the shifting of Goku sitting in the chair beside him.

“Hmph. Don’t own a TV, don’t celebrate birthdays, do you do anything that’s fun?” Goku said, leaning over to look at the comics.

“I kill people for a living.”

“That’s not fun,” Goku grumbled. “We should drive up to Orlando. Maybe Disney World will actually get you to smile.”

“I might smile if you stop pestering me.” Vegeta grumbled. Goku just laughed.

Vegeta felt the burning of Bulma staring at them. He swallowed.

The intercom buzzed, and she turned her attention to it.

“Destroyer Industries, how may I help you?”

“Yes, I need to speak with Mr. Beerus.” A soft-spoken voice came through the speaker.

“Do you have an appointment?”

“Oh, no, miss,” he said. “Is he terribly busy? It’s an urgent matter.”

Everyone exchanged perplexed expressions. Bulma shrugged and leaned over the button again.

“Are you with law enforcement?”

“No, miss.”

Bulma looked to Vegeta, who shrugged.

“Let him up, if he causes trouble, we’ll make Kakarot deal with him.” He said.

“Aw, man,” Goku pouted.

“Okay, come on up.” Bulma said. She pushed the button to unlock the door. After a minute, the office door opened.

Vegeta didn’t know what to expect, but it wasn’t what he saw. The man looked to be about Whis’ age if not a bit younger. Unlike Whis, he was very short and seemed somewhat shy. Not timid or nervous, just quiet and calm. However, like Whis, his wardrobe choices were quite colorful, with bold patterns and lots of accessories, bright red boots and a floral scarf that Vegeta thought made him look like he had gotten lost on the way to an Elton John concert.

“Mr. Beerus isn’t in yet, but he should be in soon.” Bulma said.

“Yes, I figured as much,” the man said. He had a patient smile. Goku gave Vegeta a curious expression, wordlessly asking if he knew who this guy was. Vegeta just shrugged. He had never seen him before.

The door swung open, Beerus and Whis walked in together. Upon seeing the stranger, Whis’ expression lit up and he broke into a huge grin.

“Is that Shin?” He cried. The man stood up.

“Ah, hello, Whis, Mr. Beerus.” He said.

“Shin! Didn’t know you’d be in town,” Beerus greeted. “Great timing, though. Whis and I have plans tonight, if you want to join us.”

“Uh, that’s not why I’m here,” Shin said quickly, his face flushing.

“We have so much catching up to do! I feel like it’s been ages since we’ve had a chance to just sit down and chat. I’ve been so busy while Beerus was locked up, and last I heard, you were doing quite well for yourself, weren’t you?” Whis asked.

“Actually, I—“

“Oh, that’s right, you were running your own establishment up in New York, right? How’s that been treating you? If those local thugs give you too much trouble, I’ve got connections up there.” Beerus said.

Bulma, Vegeta, and Goku exchanged baffled expressions once again. Whoever this Shin guy was, he was clearly an old friend of theirs, but not one any of them had ever heard of.

“Mr. Beerus,” Shin said a little more sharply. Beerus and Whis finally stopped bombarding him with questions, and he took a breath, returning to his normal tone. “I’m here because I have some important information. Sensitive information.”

“That so? Then spill, kid.” Beerus said, leaning against Bulma’s desk.

“It’s...is it really alright to discuss here?” Shin said, looking around at Goku and Vegeta briefly. Vegeta was almost offended. He had been working with Beerus for eight years now and had never even heard of this Shin, and now he had the audacity to show up and act like Vegeta was some suspicious newcomer? Beerus lit a cigarette.

“It’s not about...y’know, the New Year’s party a few years back, is it?” He asked, offering Shin a cigarette. Shin put a hand up to decline.

“No, i-it’s nothing to do with that,” Shin said, his face flushing again. He cleared his throat nervously.

“Then shoot.” Beerus said, lighting a setting cigarette before handing it to Whis.

“Alright,” Shin nodded. “I’ve had some business at my bar from the local crime families. It’s been fine, mostly, they’ve been keeping the cops away and business has been good. They get free drinks from me, so they have a lot of meetings during the quiet hours. I overhear things,” he paused, taking a shaky breath. “If they find out I’ve come here, that I’m telling you this...”

“We won’t let anything happen to you, Shin,” Whis said gently. Shin nodded.

“I heard some of them talking. They’re planning to come here, to Miami. To take what you have. The cartel, everything. Mr. Beerus, I know you’re a powerful man. But these men are...they’re monsters. They have things at their disposal, people, that can destroy cities in an instant. They aren’t to be trifled with. They will rip right through everything you have built here and they won’t leave any of you alive to tell the tale. I-I’ve seen what they can do. All of these families have been destroyed, just gone in days. And they’re coming for you next. Please understand, I can’t overstate how powerful they are. I don’t want to see anything happen to you.”

Goku looked worried. Vegeta shook his head. It couldn’t possibly be so bad. Beerus had a hold on Miami for decades now, how could anyone possibly hope to take that away? Vegeta was sure Shin was just being overly wary.

“Alright, alright, I get you. So tell me what you know about these guys.” Beerus said. Vegeta was surprised at how serious Beerus sounded. Like he was taking this completely in earnest.

“I know the one they have sent to scout this area for information is known as Babidi. By himself he’s mostly harmless. But he’ll have muscle. He’s probably already here. I don’t know how much he knows. But if you can stop Babidi and his goons, you’ll be fine. He’s not the one who’s really in charge.”

“Then who is?” Vegeta asked. Shin looked at him.

“Buu,” an intense darkness flashed in Shin’s eyes. “He’s...he’s like a son to Babidi in a way. But he’s the one who really calls the shots. He’s a monster. Violent. Relentless. No remorse for anything he’s done. He’ll kill children and leave their bodies in the street as a warning. There’s nothing he won’t do. If Buu gets here, it will be too late to stop him.”

Vegeta didn’t know who this guy was, or how he knew Beerus. He thought he was exaggerating or just a coward. But something about his expression now made Vegeta feel that this was completely real.

And suddenly, he was getting nervous, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I apologize again for the slow output. This chapter is on the short side I know but things are about to pick up and I felt like the pacing would have been really weird if I continued it from there. Anyway, I hope you are still enjoying it. Feel free to leave a comment or kudos if you do! It really motivates me to know that people are interested!


	8. The Things We Do For Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CW: internalized homophobia, guns, violence, blood, murder, death, let me know if you need anything else tagged 
> 
> Beerus’ old friend Shin claims there’s trouble brewing in the form of a rival family trying to make its way into Miami. Vegeta and Goku must go investigate. But, really, how bad could these guys possibly be? Definitely not worse than the Feds. Right? Also no one used seat belts in 1977.

“So who the hell is this guy, anyway? How do we know we can trust him?” Vegeta grumbled to Whis.

“Shin? He’s an old friend. We met not long after I moved here to Miami. He was working at a bar Beerus and I frequented. He’s never been directly involved with any mafia dealings, but he lives with his ear to the ground so he always had good information. Eventually, Beerus bought the bar, and he let Shin run it. We’ve been good friends for years. About a year before you joined the family, he moved up to New York for a business opportunity. We’ve kept in touch ever since.” Whis explained.

“So you trust him? How do we know he’s not working for these other guys?”

“His word is gold. Shin would never betray us.” Whis said with such confidence that Vegeta couldn’t help but nod in agreement.

“Fine. We trust him. So what next?”

“We kill Babidi.” Beerus said.

“By ‘we,’ I assume you mean Kakarot and myself?”

“Obviously. I’ll put the word out. Anyone with information on this prick will get it back to us, or we’ll beat it out of them. Whatever we need to do. Once we found out where he is, we kill him immediately.”

Vegeta and Goku traveled across the city together, visiting any and all of Beerus’ connections and informants that they could. The answer seemed to be the same no matter where they went: no one knew where Babidi was, but if Buu was involved, they didn’t want any part of it. This answer didn’t change regardless of how much violence or intimidation they were faced with.

After hours of searching, Vegeta was getting frustrated. He was going to have to return to Beerus with no new information. Judging by how stressed out Beerus seemed about the situation, he probably wasn’t going to take it well.

Goku stepped up beside him.

“Let’s go get cubanos.” He offered. Vegeta nodded

“Fine. But don’t pay for me again.” He said. Goku laughed.

They found the nearest Cuban restaurant and sat down to eat their sandwiches. After a moment of silence, Goku spoke.

“Do you like music?” Vegeta looked at him incredulously.

“That’s what’s on your mind right now?”

“When I was in LA, sometimes little things would happen, like I’d hear a song that made me think of you, or I’d watch TV and a character would say something I thought you’d think was funny, and then I started to realize that I didn’t know what kind of music you listen to, or what kind of shows you like. You’re a weirdly private guy.”

Vegeta ignored the flutter in his heart at the implication that Goku had thought about him just as much as he had thought about Goku while they were apart.

“Is it really so weird? Considering the nature of our business, we should keep as much to ourselves as possible.” He muttered between bites.

“Even something as harmless as whether or not you listen to music?” Goku asked with a disarming smile. Vegeta paused for a moment.

“Yeah, I like music.”

They drove back to the office. Vegeta was exhausted as he pulled into the parking lot. Shin was outside of the building, leaning against the wall.

“Any word?” Vegeta asked as they approached.

“Not so far. How about you?” He said.

“Nothing. Are you sure your information is good?” Vegeta asked. Shin let out a small laugh.

“I hope I’m wrong. It’s worth it to—look out!”

Vegeta barely had time to process what was happening when he heard the first blast.

BLAM!

He grabbed Goku and dove to the ground.

BLAM!  
BLAM!  
BLAM!

He took out his gun and pointed it at their attackers, whom he was seeing for the first time. Two men in a convertible car. It had no license plate. They were grayish in complexion, large, muscular, frightening-looking men.

BLAM!  
BLAM!

Vegeta fired two shots. One hit a tire, causing it to burst and fray across the street. They didn’t stop, although they were slowed dramatically.

“Friends of yours?” He barked. Shin, who looked shaken, gazed up at him.

“Th-those were Babidi’s men,” He said as he tremulously stood up. “You should follow them. They’ll lead you to Babidi.”

Goku sat you and rubbed his head.

“Ouch, I bonked my head,” he muttered.

“Kakarot, are you okay?” Vegeta demanded. He could feel his heart pounding so hard it seemed to jolt his whole body.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Hurry! You can find him, you can stop this—“ Shin said.

“Who the hell are you to tell me what to do? You’re the one so concerned with this Babidi, go and track him down yourself!” Vegeta roared.

“The hell is going on?” Beerus demanded as he burst out the door.

“Some of Babidi’s lackeys tried a drive-by.” Goku said.

“Then what the hell are we standing around for? Go after them and find that son of a bitch!” Beerus said.

“Why should I go? It’s this little bastard that brought all this trouble! He can go and find Babidi himself, I’m not doing his dirty work!” Vegeta snarled, jabbing a finger toward Shin.

“What? Dammit, Vegeta, this isn’t the time for your drama!” Beerus argued.

“He’s the reason we’re in this mess! He probably lead them here!”

“Shut up!” Beerus roared. “I don’t care what your problem with Shin is, I’m the one in charge here and I’m telling you to follow those motherfuckers, find Babidi, and take that _hijueputa_ out!” Vegeta was breathing hard. But he looked down.

“Fine. I’ll go.” He said.

“Take Goku with you.”

“Why the hell do I have to take him?”

“Because I’m not leaving something this important and this dangerous to one person. Both of you go.” Beerus said.

“No! Ever since Kakarot showed up, you force me to take him on every trip. I did fine without him for five years before he joined the family, or have you forgotten? He got me shot on his first job, and we all almost died because of his past with the Feds that he failed to disclose! What’s the point of making me take him everywhere when you know he causes trouble everywhere he goes?” Vegeta screamed. He felt a pang in his chest.

He didn’t mean a word of it.

But all he could think of was Goku scream as he was shot. His rattling breath as he struggled to stay conscious in his arms. The sickening glint of delight in Cell’s eye. Goku unconscious in the back of the car. Goku in the hospital not sure if he would ever walk again. Goku in a wheelchair telling Vegeta it wasn’t his fault when they both knew it was.

“Vegeta?” Goku sounded hurt. Vegeta didn’t look at him.

“We don’t have time for this bullshit! Get your head out of your ass, Vegeta, we’re a family, and I’m in charge, and I’m not asking. You go, right now, and you take Goku with you, and one more word of complaint out of you will be your last, am I understood?” Beerus growled. Vegeta looked to the pavement again. His heart was racing. He remembered the shock in him when the bullet ripped through Goku’s chest. He remembered thinking the last thing he did to Goku was accuse him of lying and lead rogue FBI agents to their safe house. He remembered thinking Goku was dead in his arms.

“Fine. We’ll go,” He said, defeated. “But he comes with,” he pointed to Shin. “I need to know when we find Babidi, and he has all the info.”

Vegeta expected Shin to panic or be scared, but instead he nodded.

“I suppose that’s fair. You do have a point, after all, I am the one with all the information, and I must seem rather suspicious to you. I’ll go.” He said. Beerus shook his head.

“Fine. But don’t let anything happen to Shin, you understand? He’s not a gangster like we are. You keep him safe.”

“I will.” Vegeta said.

With all the arguing, they had lost quite a bit of time, but Vegeta knew how to move through the streets fast. No one spoke, the screaming of the engine filled in the silence. Vegeta wouldn’t look at Goku. He didn’t want to know if he was hurt or upset. He’d make it up to him later, somehow.

“There!” Shin cried. Vegeta saw the car briefly as they sped past it. It was outside an old office building that looked like it hadn’t been used in years. Vegeta sped around the corner and slammed on the brakes, launching everyone forward. Goku caught himself on the dashboard but Shin toppled out of the backseat and on to the floor. Vegeta pulled into a parking lot behind a deli. The three of them crossed the lots quietly, approaching the building from the back. Vegeta found a side entrance and was able to break the lock without making much noise. They filed in silently and slowly. Eventually, they heard voices speaking.

“You idiots! How could you possibly fail?” A shrill voice was screaming. They followed the sound to a large room, mostly empty with the exception of some dusty old desks and chairs piled up along the walls. The three men crouched behind a row of desks and listened.

“We did exactly as you said! But he popped our tire, if we didn’t get out fast, they could have caught us!” The smaller of the two men argued. Vegeta was getting a good look at them now, one was enormously huge, the other was smaller. Both were very muscular, but with a sickly pale tone to their skin. They each had a silver “M” pinned to their shirts.

“And where are they now? How do you know you weren’t followed?” The one who was yelling said again. He was a very small, very old man. He also had the silver “M” on his jacket. It seemed bizarre that these enormous men were so intimidated by such a frail-looking person.

“What else could we do?”

“What you _could_ do,” the old man exploded. “Is hit the targets I tell you to hit! Vegeta and Goku are Beerus’ most powerful men, with them taken out, he’d be drastically weakened, and then we’d have the perfect opportunity to strike!”

Vegeta looked to Shin and pointed at the old man. Shin nodded.

It was Babidi.

“Dabura,” Babidi said to a very tall, bearded man beside him. “Secure the entrances.” The man nodded and walked toward the door.

“What are you going to do?” The pale hitman said. Babidi shook his head.

“Yamu,” he said. “You and Spopovich have served me well all these years. But you know how Buu feels about failure.”

“No! You can’t be serious! We’ve done everything you asked—“

“If that were true, then why are Vegeta and Goku still alive? Now either face me or Buu will be the one to deal with you!”

Yamu and Spopovich looked to each other. There was something akin to fear in their eyes. It looked unnatural in such powerful men. Then, Yamu pulled his gun from its holster and set it on a nearby desk. He looked to the larger man.

“Spopovich,” he said sternly. Spopovich looked down. Trembling, he, too, took his gun and set it on the desk. Each of them kneeled down. Vegeta felt his stomach knot. They were like animals at the slaughterhouse. Babidi took a gun and pressed it against Yamu’s head.

“Nothing personal,” he said, although he was grinning wickedly.

BANG!

Yamu dropped to the ground, his body twitching horrifically. Spopovich flinched but still did not move from where he was knelt. Babidi put his gun to Spopovich’s head.

BANG!

Spopovich collapsed against the floor. Blood pooled on the carpet.

Everything was silent for a moment, frozen, as if nothing would move again.

“Aah!” A scream came from behind Vegeta. He whipped around to see the tall man, Dabura, grabbing Shin by the neck. Shin was struggling against his grip, but it was clear he was outmatched.

“Let him go!” Vegeta cried. Dabura carried Shin over to Babidi.

“How convenient for my targets to come to me. Like flies into a spiderweb,” Babidi said with a wicked grin. “And Shin, this is a great disappointment. I’ll miss your little bar, but I suppose there are greater losses to be had.”

“Let him go! We’re the ones you’re after, so leave him alone.” Goku said.

“Yes, you and Vegeta are my targets, but Shin here chose to pick sides in a fight that wasn’t his. We’re going to let Buu deal with him, personally. That should teach him to stick his nose where it doesn’t belong.”

“Just go! Get out of here, don’t worry about me!” Shin cried.

“No way, Shin. We told Beerus we wouldn’t let anything happen to you.” Goku said.

“He’s already dead. So are the two of you, it’s only a matter of time. If your boss is willing to leave quietly, he might just be spared.” Babidi said with a wicked laugh. Vegeta drew his gun and aimed it at Babidi.

“Tell your lackey to let him go and you might just be spared.” He growled. Babidi just laughed. Goku took out his gun as well. Dabura pressed his own pistol to Shin’s head.

“Your boss, Beerus, likes to keep his employees minimal, doesn’t he? Only keeps those he really trusts, and drops everyone else. Buu doesn’t operate the same way. Come on out, gentlemen!” Babidi called.

Two men entered. One was smaller, with a disturbing glint in his eyes and a wicked smile. The other larger, somewhat insectlike in appearance. Both wore the silver “M” on their clothes. It seemed to be this family’s symbol, how some gangs bore tattoos.

“These are my associates. This is Pui Pui and Yakon. Let’s have a fair fight, shall we? No weapons. Show your real strength.” Babidi said. Pui Pui and Yakon obediently took their weapons from their holsters and pockets and set them aside.

“Why the hell should we agree to this?” Vegeta demanded.

“Fight them, or I kill your little friend right now. Is that what you want? From the sounds of it, your boss is quite fond of him. You wouldn’t want to have to explain how you got him killed, would you?” Babidi asked. Vegeta growled.

“You’re more trouble than you’re worth, you know that?” He called to Shin.

“Vegeta!” Goku scolded.

“Fine.” Vegeta set his gun aside, and Goku did the same. The smaller one, Pui Pui, approached him.

“I won’t be easily beaten. I’ve been fighting for over 20 years.” Pui Pui said proudly. Vegeta couldn’t help but smirk at that.

“20 years? Wow.” He said flatly.

“Vegeta, don’t underestimate him!” Shin cried, still struggling in Dabura’s grasp.

“Don’t worry, Shin,” Goku called back. “Vegeta knows what he’s doing.”

Vegeta felt a boost of confidence from this.

Pui Pui swung the first kick. Vegeta caught it. He jerked his leg back out of Vegeta’s grasp, then threw a punch. Vegeta caught this as well, pushing him back. Pui Pui growled, then charged at him, throwing kicks and punches as quickly as he could. Not nearly quick enough, as Vegeta dodged each hit with ease.

He caught his leg again, and this time, he kicked as hard as he could, knocking Pui Pui back against a wall. He could hear him wheezing as the wind had been knocked out of him. Vegeta stepped toward him. He saw a look of shock in his enemy’s eyes. Pui Pui looked as though he were about to speak, but before he could, Vegeta punched him, knocking him down to the floor. He struggled to stand, and Vegeta stood behind him, watching with interest as he pushed himself up. As soon as he was on his feet, Vegeta punched him down again.

“Damn you!” Pui Pui growled. He jumped up and charged at Vegeta again. This time, Vegeta went on the offensive, punching him hard and fast. Every hit landed, in fact, Pui Pui almost seemed helpless to his attacks. At one point, Vegeta began to wonder if he was fighting badly on purpose, in order to distract him or something, but judging by how angry he was getting this was probably not the case.

Vegeta knocked him back into a stack of chairs. Pui Pui was trembling as he forced himself to stand again. He didn’t have much left in him.

“Twenty years, you said?” Vegeta smirked. “I’ve been fighting since I was an infant. I’ve killed more men than you’ve fought,” Pui Pui’s eyes widened with fear, then, he charged again, a desperate final attempt. Vegeta kicked him down with ease. “Hey, Babidi,” Vegeta called as he stood over his opponent’s barely-conscious body. “You said we had to fight with our hands, but you never said anything about killing.”

“No, I supposed I didn’t.” Babidi said. Vegeta took his gun from the desk and shot Pui Pui in the chest, leaving him to bleed out on the floor.

When he turned, Goku was still fighting against the giant Yakon. He struck a few more blows and knocked him flat. Before he had a chance to argue, Vegeta crosses the room and shot Yakon dead as well. He figured it was better to die by their enemy’s hands than to be slaughtered the way Spopovich and Yamu had been.

“Well,” Babidi said. “I didn’t expect that. You defeated two of my strongest guys like it was nothing. Still, I won’t let you leave here alive. Dabura.”

Dabura, the tall, built man with a dark beard, roughly tossed Shin at Babidi. Babidi pressed his gun to Shin’s temple, ordering him not to move. Dabura stepped forward toward Vegeta and Goku.

“Let’s make this simple,” he said as he set his gun down on a desk. “I’ll fight one of you. If the one I fight wins, you will be allowed to kill me and to continue your quest to rescue your little friend, Shin. If I win, I kill both of you, and Shin is taken to Buu.”

“Fine,” Goku said.

“Why should we agree to your terms?” Vegeta growled. Goku looked at him in surprise.

“Vegeta, we have to.”

“Look at you! So willing to roll over for these bastards. They’re putting us through a gauntlet for their own, sick amusement and when all is done, they won’t keep their word. How can you be so naïve?” He said.

“Then I’ll fight, you can wait it out and if it looks like they’re trying to cheat us, you can put a stop to it.” Goku said.

“In other words, I’ll save you while you run blindly into trouble? Why should I? You stay out of this. Matter of fact, just leave. I can take care of this whole situation by myself, the last damn thing I need is you getting in the way again.” Vegeta hated himself for talking to Goku this way. But it was the best way to convince him, he thought. If Goku thought Vegeta hated him, he’d get out of his way and out of danger.

Just seeing Goku with a bruised face was sending a slew of horrible memories through him. The pain of believing Goku was dead. Watching him struggling with his wheelchair. Watching the airplane disappear into the sky. Thinking he would never see him again. Never get the chance to—

“Vegeta, you’re not being fair! I can handle this.”

“Kakarot, just get out of here! I’m sick of listening to your whining. I work better without having to babysit you.” Vegeta snapped. Out of the corner of his eye, Vegeta saw that Dabura was talking to Babidi. He was pointing. Suddenly he had a very bad feeling.

“No! Beerus said you need backup and that’s why I’m here. You can’t just shoo me away because you’re in a bad mood. Quit acting like this and let me help!”

“I don’t need your help! I was better off when you were on the other side of the country! You never should have come back!” Vegeta exploded. The pain that shot through him as he said those words was the greatest yet. He recalled the many sleepless nights, the nightmares, times when he wanted to badly to just be able to pick up a phone and call or write a letter just to tell Goku how badly he missed him. How much he needed him. Goku looked hurt. He stared into Vegeta’s eyes, as if demanding an explanation. Vegeta couldn’t give one. Not right now.

“Change of plans, gentlemen,” Dabura said. They looked up at him, and both were quite surprised when he pushed Shin against Goku. “The two of you may go, provided he stays,” he looked to Vegeta.

‘_Me? Why me?_’

“What? Why?” Goku cried.

“That is a private matter. Now, the two of you can leave in peace, or by force.”

“I’m not leaving Vegeta.”

“Dammit, Kakarot, just go! I already told you, I can handle this myself. You got Shin back. Take him back to Beerus.”

“But, Vegeta—“

“Don’t make me tell you twice, Kakarot! Get the hell out, now!”

Goku looked panicked, but he took his gun and guided Shin out the door. After the sound of the doors closing behind them had clicked, Dabura turned his attention to Vegeta.

“Mr. Babidi and I have a proposition for you.”

Outside, Goku and Shin stood. Goku was frozen, dumbfounded.

“I-I can’t just leave him here. This is a mistake, Shin, we have to go back!”

“I don’t want to leave him, either, Goku. Something is wrong here. Babidi doesn’t show mercy. If he let us go, he has something much more sinister planned. We can’t handle this alone. We need to get Beerus, this situation is out of our control.”

Goku swallowed hard and nodded, but he still looked scared.

“Okay.”

He drove as quickly as possible back to the office. When they arrived, Goku scrambled out the car. He pressed the intercom and was quickly buzzed in by Bulma. He charged upstairs and didn’t waste any time bursting into Beerus’ office. Whis was so startled by this that he nearly fell off of Beerus’ lap, where he had apparently been sitting, sharing a passionate embrace with his partner. Beerus caught him and looked up at Goku and Shin in surprise.

“_¿Qué carajo está pasando?_” He demanded.

“I don’t know what you just said, but Vegeta’s in trouble!” Goku said. He explained the situation as quickly as possible.

“What? That doesn’t make any sense, what do they want with Vegeta?” Beerus asked.

“I don’t know, but we need help. We have to go get him back.” Goku said. Beerus nodded. He gently tapped Whis on the leg, which signaled him to get off his lap.

“Shin, Whis, stay here. Don’t even poke your heads outside until I give the all-clear, understood?” He said.

“Be safe, Beerus.” Whis said softly.

“Aren’t I always?” He grinned.

Goku and Beerus started toward the door when the intercom buzzed.

“Destroyer Industries,” Bulma said.

“It’s me.”

Everyone froze for a moment. Goku ran over to the desk and pressed the intercom button.

“Vegeta? Are you okay? I thought for sure Babidi was going to kill you! Are you hurt? How did you get here so fast?”

“Just let me in.” He replied. There was something off about his voice. It sounded too flat, almost dark. As if he was angry but trying not to show it.

“Oh, yeah, sorry.” Goku muttered sheepishly. Bulma pressed the button to unlock the entrance.

After a moment, Vegeta entered the office. Goku hurried over to greet him, then paused when he noticed something off. Dabura was standing behind Vegeta, with a triumphant-looking smirk. Vegeta himself had a similar expression, a sickening sort of grin, a sadistic gleam in his eye not unlike the one Babidi had.

And most peculiar of all, he was wearing a silver “M” on his jacket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright here we go! I wanted to get this out sooner but life keeps happening and slowing me down. I hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to leave a comment or kudos if you like it, they make me really happy! Things are getting crazy in this story so hang on to your pants 🤠


	9. Psycho Killer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CW: guns, violence, internalized homophobia, slight blood/gore, misogynistic slurs, death, murder, implied major character death, explosives, please let me know if you need anything else tagged 
> 
> Vegeta may have joined the rival family. Buu may be on his way there to kill all of them. It may look very bleak, but not everything is what it seems. Still, a storm is coming. Will anything be left when it clears?

“Vegeta,” Goku said. “What’s going on?”

Vegeta’s eyes narrowed when he looked at Goku. It was a cold glare, one that sent an icy shiver down Goku’s spine. Something was very wrong.

“After you left, I had a chat with Mr. Babidi and Dabura. They made an offer,” He said. “They agreed to let me live, provided I do what they need me to.”

“What are you talking about?” Goku asked. Part of him already knew. But he wouldn’t believe it until he heard it from Vegeta’s lips.

Vegeta drew his gun and pointed it at Goku.

“All I have to do is get rid of anyone Mr. Buu doesn’t want around.”

Goku heard the sound of Beerus drawing his gun and aiming it at Vegeta. He knew he should have too, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t believe this was happening.

“This had better be a really bad joke, kid.” Beerus growled. A fierce rage was flashing in his golden eyes. Vegeta turned to him.

“Why don’t you tell me?” He said.

Before anyone could react, he turned his gun on Beerus and fired.

BANG!

Beerus screamed, falling to the ground and clutching his stomach.

“Beerus!” Whis cried. He ran to Beerus’ side, dropping to his knees.

Now, Goku drew his gun.

“Vegeta, what are you doing?” He demanded.

“Are you really all so surprised? Did you all forget how I came to join this family in the first place? I had to betray Frieza to join Beerus. What’s the saying? Once a cheat always a cheat, isn’t that right, Beerus?” Vegeta smirked.

“Stop it, Vegeta!” Bulma cried. She was standing by her desk, trembling with anger. “What’s the matter with you? After everything he’s done for you, you’re going to betray him? You coward!” Vegeta turned his gun toward her.

“Do you think I give a damn about the opinion of a whore?” He growled. Bulma paled, taking a step back.

Suddenly, Whis stepped between them, standing immediately before Vegeta’s gun.

“That’s enough.” He said firmly.

“Do you think I won’t shoot you, too? You don’t get it, do you? I work for Babidi now. None of you are worth anything to me.” Vegeta said. Whis was looking him in the eye, unflinching.

“If you want to shoot me, then shoot me. But you know there’s no point. I’m no threat to you and neither is Bulma. If you want to kill me just for fun, then I suggest you do it quickly.” Whis said.

“Whis, don’t—“ Beerus growled, trying to push himself to a stand.

For a moment it seemed that time was standing still. Vegeta was staring Whis down, finger on the trigger yet not moving. Whis wasn’t backing down.

Goku didn’t think before he moved. Before he realized it, he was tackling Vegeta to the ground, knocking his gun out of his hand.

“Everyone, get out of here!” He cried. He heard a gun click.

“Stop right there.” Said Dabura.

“I can handle this, Dabura,” Vegeta said. “They can leave the office but don’t let them get far.”

“Are you sure? You know what will happen if you fail.”

“I don’t fail.” Vegeta said.

Dabura shrugged and returned his gun to its holster. Everyone hurried out, with Whis helping Beerus out. Dabura walked out too, to keep them from running.

“Vegeta, you have to stop this! This isn’t you, you’re acting crazy.” Goku cried. Vegeta pushed against him and rolled so he was on top of him.

“What do you know about it, you clown? You said it yourself, you don’t know much about me. How do you know if this isn’t me?” He growled. Goku pushed back.

“I don’t know the little things, like what kind of music you like or what types of movies you watch, but I know your heart, Vegeta. I know that you would never betray the family, so tell me what’s going on, now!” Goku kicked him in the stomach, knocking him back. He stood, but the second he was on his feet, Vegeta was charging again. He knocked him into Bulma’s desk, tipping it over and cracking the wood. The buttons of the typewriter scattered as it smashed upon the floor. Goku swung his fist and made contact with Vegeta’s face. Vegeta hit him back just as hard. They fell to the floor again, wrestling around, landing hits when they could, body against body. Goku’s shirt ripped open, buttons popping off and exposing his chest.

Vegeta gripped his hands and tried to pin him down, but Goku managed to wriggle away. He tried to get to his feet again, but before he could, Vegeta had kicked him down. Goku was collapsed onto the floor. Then, Vegeta gripped him by the hair and pulled him up. Goku groaned, muscles trembling.

“Vegeta...you don’t...have to do this...” he grunted. Vegeta tossed him against the wall, cracking the drywall slightly.

“Don’t tell me what I have to do!” He roared. Goku slid down the wall into a sitting position on the floor. He looked up to Vegeta.

“After all you went through to get away from Frieza, why would you let someone use you like this again?”

“Babidi isn’t using me, Kakarot. I’m using him. With the power he’s offering me, I can finally be the one in charge. I can make my own decisions, I don’t have to take orders from Beerus or Whis or you or anyone.”

“That doesn’t make any sense, Vegeta. You’re still just doing whatever he tells you to!”

“Only for as long as I have to. Beerus would never offer me more power or control than I had. As soon as he got out of prison I was back to being just another lackey. He would never offer me control of Miami.”

“So what? Beerus cares about you! So does Whis, and so do I! Babidi will kill you the second you make a mistake! You’re worthless to him.”

“Worthless?” Vegeta kicked Goku down. “You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Goku grabbed Vegeta’s legs, pulling him down to the floor. He climbed over him and struggled to hold him down.

“Look at yourself, Vegeta! You’re better than this. I won’t let you destroy yourself like this. Whatever it is, let me help you!” He cried.

“You can’t help me!” Vegeta growled. He struggled back until Goku was on the ground beneath him.

“You can pretend not to care, but I know the truth, Vegeta. I know you care about Beerus, and Whis is your friend, and so is Bulma. I know you would never hurt any of them unless you had a damn good reason. And I know you care about me. Whatever it is we have—whatever we feel for each other, it’s not nothing. You can’t fool me, Vegeta!”

“Shut up!” He grabbed Goku’s wrists and pinned them over his head with one hand. He wrapped his free hand around Goku’s throat, squeezing just enough to be threatening. “You can’t possibly know what I feel! Do you really think you have any idea what it’s like, Kakarot? Do you know what it is to be haunted by you? The memory of you? The ghost of your touch? You don’t know what it means to desire you! It makes me sick just thinking about it. I was normal before I met you! I did my job and I was good at it. You made me different. You made me weak. I’ve spent my life on my own with no one to depend on and no one dependent on me. Then you arrived. Now everything is about you. Worrying about you! Caring for you! Feeling for you! I-I won’t do it anymore! From this moment, I won’t want you anymore!”

“Ve—geta—“ Goku gasped. Vegeta released his grip on Goku’s throat, then slapped him across the face.

“You don’t know—“ he slapped him again. “What it’s like!” He leaned down very close, so their lips were almost touching. “Even now. I’m supposed to be trying to kill you, yet being this close to you, I can’t seem to think of anything but your taste.” Goku’s eyes were wide.

“Vegeta, listen to me, we can figure this out together. You don’t have to do what Babidi says. You don’t have to be afraid. We can work it out side-by-side.” He said softly. Vegeta shook his head.

“You still don’t get it. This isn’t about Babidi. It never was.”

Outside, Bulma and Whis were tending to Beerus’ wound while Shin anxiously watched the office door. Dabura stood by with his gun trained on them. Beerus was breathing unsteadily as Whis cradled his head and stroked his ears. Bulma was doing her best to wrap his injury with gauze from a first aid kit she found in one of the other offices in the building.

“Ungrateful bastard,” Beerus growled. “I gave him everything. How could he do this?”

“I don’t think it’s quite what it looks like. He shot you but he wouldn’t shoot me. There’s more going on here than it seems.” Whis said.

“You shouldn’t have gotten in front of his gun like that! How did you know he wouldn’t kill you?”

“Honestly, I didn’t think he’d have the guts. He knows that if anything happens to me, you’d kill him in an instant. If he wanted me dead, he should have killed you first.” Whis explained.

“_Estás loco, angelito_,” Beerus smirked.

“He called me a whore,” Bulma said. Her voice was even, but low. “What explanation is there for that?” Whis nodded sympathetically.

“It’s clear he wanted to hurt you. But I’m still not sure if he was going to shoot you.”

“Your naïveté is really quite charming,” Dabura said. “But you’re wrong.”

“Cute goatee, by the way. I didn’t know beatniks were back in style.” Whis retorted. Dabura frowned at this, touching his beard as if slightly self-conscious about it now.

“What now?” Shin asked. “What are you holding us for? You’re not going to kill us yourself, so what’s the point? Wait for Vegeta to kill Goku and have him kill us?”

WAP! WAP! WAP! CRASH!

A pounding at the entrance of the building was followed by a loud crashing. The door was kicked open. Everyone exchanged worried expressions. Whis and Bulma helped Beerus stand.

“It looks like you’ll be finding the answer to your question right now.” Dabura smirked.

Up the stairs came Babidi. With him came an unusual figure. A very rotund figure, lumbering up the stairs, a goofy grin upon his face, humming to himself. Beerus stared in confusion for a moment.

“Who are they?”

“No, oh god, no,” Shin whispered.

“What? Shin, tell me what’s wrong!”

“It’s Buu.”

Inside the office, Goku had freed himself from Vegeta’s pin. They were locked in battle, throwing hit after hit, pushing against one another with all their strength. Vegeta dove at him, knocking him to the floor. Their bodies writhed against one another, grunting and panting as they fought for control. Goku struggled, flipping them over and straddling Vegeta, pinning his arms to his sides and holding him down by the shoulders.

“Vegeta, please! I don’t care if you hate me but you don’t need to do this! It’s not too late to stop this. Please, if not for me then do it for you! Before it’s too late!”

BANG!

They both froze, staring at the door where the sound came from. Goku went pale.

“That could be one of our friends out there! Vegeta, just stop this, let’s go and help them. You can beat the hell out of me later, I don’t care. You can even kill me, but don’t let the family suffer! Please!” Goku cried. His voice was trembling. Vegeta’s face softened.

“Alright, Kakarot. We can go help.” He said. Goku sighed with relief, then smiled.

“Thank god. I’ll get off you now,” He stood, shaking. Vegeta stood, too. Goku started for the door. “I hope everyone is—“ he was cut off as Vegeta hit him in the back of the neck with both fists, knocking him unconscious. Vegeta knelt by Goku where he was passed out on the floor. He stroked his hair away from his face, gently.

“I’m sorry, Kakarot. I don’t hate you,” he said softly. “I love you.”

He walked into Beerus’ office and moved the painting, a cheap Monet print, to find Beerus’ hidden safe. He had ordered him and Whis to install it in the office while he was in prison. It contained what Beerus was calling his “fail safe,” to be used in case of absolute emergency.

An explosive. A small one, but with enough power to take out the entire building if necessary.

“That’s Buu? Are you sure?” Bulma asked.

“I’m sure.” Shin said. His voice was trembling slightly.

“It seems there’s been a hitch in Vegeta’s plan. No matter, Buu is here and he’ll take care of the rest. Won’t you, Buu?” Babidi asked.

“Buu hungry.” Buu said.

“You can eat when we’re done getting rid of these guys. Now, Buu, kill them!”

“Buu hungry now!”

Beerus, Whis, and Bulma all glanced to Shin again, as if silently asking if he was absolutely certain this was the right guy.

“I understand that, Buu, but there’s no food until you do as you’re told and kill these fools!” Babidi grunted.

“Honestly, Babidi, you really need to do something about his appetite. All he ever talks about is food.” Dabura said.

“Buu likes food!” Buu beamed, the mere thought of food seeming to fill him with joy.

“Yes, that’s quite obvious to anyone with eyes. You love food a bit too much. If you love food any more, you won’t be able to fit through doors soon!” Dabura laughed. Buu’s brows furrowed, his face scrunching and turning red.

“Buu don’t like you! You not nice to Buu!” He cried. Dabura’s eyes went wide as he realized his teasing went too far.

“W-wait! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—“ but before he could apologize, Buu had pulled a gun out and shot.

BANG!

Dabura fell dead to the floor.

Whis grabbed Beerus’ hand. They looked to each other in surprise, then back to Dabura’s body.

“Oh, that’s just great, Buu. You killed our last muscle. Are you happy now?” Babidi said with his arms folded.

“Yes.” Buu said without a hint of irony.

“Fine, now will you take care of your actual enemies?”

“Oo-kay,” Buu nodded. He scanned the four of them as if trying to decide who to kill first. Beerus aimed his gun at Buu, but Buu didn’t seem bothered by this in the slightest.

“That one,” Babidi said, pointing to Shin. “He needs to be taught a lesson for sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong.” Buu nodded and stepped toward Shin.

“Leave him alone!” Beerus barked. But Buu ignored him. Shin was trembling but didn’t move from his spot.

“Night-night!” Buu said before punching Shin in the gut. Shin crumpled to the floor, retching and gasping.

“Shin!” Whis hurried over to him.

“I-I’m okay—“ Shin coughed.

“Exc-uuuse,” Buu said. Whis turned to look at him.

“You want me to get out of your way so you can kill my friend, is that it?” Whis said.

“Yes please,” Buu grinned. Whis turned back to Shin.

“I won’t be doing that.” Buu frowned, his round face beginning to scrunch up in frustration the way it had before he killed Dabura.

“Whis, don’t,” Beerus said. His gun was still aimed at Buu.

“You move!” Buu yelled. Whis stood, slowly, and turned to face Buu.

“Please, Whis, this isn’t the time, come back over here,” Beerus said. His voice was trembling.

“I wonder, Buu. Do you even want to kill me? Do you want to kill any of us? Or were you just taught by your mentor over there to murder anybody who disagrees with you?” Whis asked. “If you want to kill me, you’re free to. But killing me is going to bring more problems, more disagreements, more people to kill. I bet Babidi failed to mention that, right? The more you kill, the more you have to kill.”

Buu pondered this for a second, looking at his gun in his hands, then back up to Whis. He nodded sagely.

BANG!

Whis was knocked back from the force of the bullet whizzing through it shoulder.

“Whis!”

“Buu no kill you!” Buu said as if this were a great accomplishment.

“_¡Angelito!_” Beerus screamed. “_¡Te mataré! ¡Hijueputa! ¿Cómo pudiste?_” As Beerus was about to fire, the office door opened, and Vegeta walked out. He turned his gun to Vegeta. “_¡Tu! ¡Esto es tu culpa!_”

“You should be worrying about Whis, not who to kill.” Vegeta said flatly. He looked down to the floor where Whis was writhing and gasping in pain. Bulma was trying to put pressure on the wound. Beerus looked down at Whis as well, as if he were just coming back to Earth from a dream. He dropped to his knees and took Whis into his arms.

“Whis, I’m so sorry, this should never have happened.” He said.

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry,” Whis said, though he was still struggling to catch his breath.

“Ah, Vegeta,” Babidi said. “Did you take care of that pest?”

“Yes, he’s gone.” Vegeta said.

“No!” Bulma cried. “You didn’t, tell me you didn’t!”

“You can go and see for yourself.” Vegeta said without looking at her.

“I’ll go,” Shin said. He was trembling but able to stand. He made his way into the office.

“Very good,” Babidi said. “You see, Buu? He kills the people I ask him to kill. He doesn’t defy me or argue. He just does as he’s told.”

“Booo-ring,” Buu huffed.

“I want to have a word with Buu.” Vegeta said. Buu cocked his head. Babidi frowned.

“You’re hardly at a high enough rank to earn a private conversation with Buu.” He said.

“I’m all you have right now, isn’t that right? Dabura is dead. It won’t take long, just a moment of his time.”

“And who will watch them?” Babidi argued, gesturing to Beerus, Whis, Bulma, and the direction of the office door where Shin was checking on Goku.

“Surely you’re capable of watching a bunch of wounded hostages for five minutes.” Vegeta said. Babidi growled.

“You insolent—“

“Okay!” Buu said. Babidi frowned.

“What? You’re really going to do this?”

“Uh-huh. He funny. Buu want to play with him!” He said.

“One more thing,” Vegeta said. He turned to look at his former friends. “Let them get their friend out, too.”

“What?” Babidi cried. “The dead man? You want them to carry a corpse outside right now?”

“It’s getting dark. No one is around, or someone would have called the police from all the gunshots anyway.”

“That’s not the point! Why would they need him for? You _did_ kill him, didn’t you?” Babidi’s eyes narrowed. The office door opened. Shin looked between all of them, his gaze lingering on Vegeta. Vegeta stared back. After a moment, Shin nodded.

“He’s dead.” He said.

“No!” Bulma cried.

“Vegeta,” Whis growled.

Beerus was silent. He stared down at the floor as if at an utter loss for what to do.

“We’ll take him. If it’s so important, we’ll take Goku’s body outside, and we’ll let Vegeta and Buu have their chat.” Shin said. Vegeta nodded.

“This is absurd, I refuse to give in to such ridiculous demands. You’re forgetting your place!” Babidi argued. Buu seemed to puff up with excitement.

“Go! Go, go, go! Buu want to play with grumpy man!” He cried, stomping his feet.

“But Buu—“

“Buu play now! Now, now, now!” Babidi’s fists clenched.

“Oh, alright, fine! All that matters is that the two of you get your job done tonight. I suppose a few minutes won’t hurt. But don’t take too long! I don’t want any of these fools getting any ideas.” He said.

“Beerus, are you able to help me carry Goku downstairs?” Shin asked. Beerus nodded slowly. He crossed into the office. Bulma helped Whis stand.

As Shin and Beerus walked past, carrying Goku, Beerus locked eyes with Vegeta. It was only a moment, but Vegeta knew that Beerus had figured out his plan. He knew Goku wasn’t dead. He knew that Vegeta had the fail safe. He nodded slightly, a sadness in his eyes. Vegeta didn’t nod back, not willing to risk blowing his cover, but hoped that Beerus would understand his good-bye through his eyes alone.

Once everyone was outside, Vegeta drew his gun and pointed it at Buu. Buu stared at it for a second, then laughed.

“You shoot Buu?”

“Call off the attack. Leave Miami. Don’t come back here ever again, and I won’t have to shoot you.” Vegeta said. He knew there was no point trying to convince him, but giving him a chance is what Goku would have wanted. Buu, moving faster than seemed plausible at his size, knocked the gun out of his hand, sending it sliding across the floor.

“Buu like Miami! Buu keep it!” He said. He drew his own gun.

“That friend of yours, Babidi, he’s just using you. Telling you what to do, where to go, who to kill, He says you’re in charge but really, he’s treating you like a puppet.” Vegeta said.

“Puppet?” Buu frowned. He turned to look down the stairs, toward the door. Vegeta took this opportunity to kick the gun from his hand, sending it down the hall. Buu growled. “Hey! You not nice to Buu!”

“Trust me, I’m being a lot nicer to you than I should be.”

Outside, Babidi had the four backed up against the outer wall of the building. Goku was lying a few feet away, his jacket draped over his face. Whis was crouched down so Bulma could treat his injury. Beerus held his hand. Beerus had been acting a bit strange since carrying Goku. He wouldn’t let go of Whis’ hand, which he held with a vice-like grip, for once not seeming to care at all if someone saw them, and he kept looking at Shin. Whis didn’t think much of it. He was too distracted by what he believed was the dead body of a friend lying only a few feet away. He stared at Goku, jaw clenched.

“There,” Bulma said softly as she finished wrapping the bullet hole. She and Beerus helped Whis to carefully stand again. She threw her arms around him. “Goku, I can’t believe he’s—“ she stopped as her voice broke. She fought back her tears unsuccessfully.

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about him. You’ll all be joining him soon enough.” Babidi said.

“Then why don’t you just kill us and get it over with?” Whis said. Babidi folded his arms.

“Because it’ll be so much sweeter to watch Buu take you down.” He said.

“You can’t, can you? Are you not allowed to because of Buu? Or are you just a coward?” Whis asked.

“You need to learn when to keep that smart mouth of yours shut! You were already shot once, it would be easy to do it again.” Babidi said.

“What do I have to be afraid of? You’re going to kill us all, anyway, right? You, on the other hand, have a lot to be afraid of. Like if Buu ever figures out that he’s just your pawn.”

“I’m not worried. You were fools to even think you stood a chance. Even with Shin coming all the way down here to warn you, you still can’t keep up with Buu. Killing you almost feels like a waste of bullets.” Babidi said. Whis pulled his gun from its holster.

“That’s funny, I was thinking the same thing.” He said.

BAM!

Babidi fell to the ground, screaming. Whis had shot him in the stomach.

“Quickly, we don’t have much time,” Shin said suddenly.

Buu turned at the sound of the gunshot.

“Wha—?” He cried. Vegeta didn’t waste time throwing a punch into his gut. Buu barely seemed to feel it. He just turned back around and hit Vegeta back. Beneath his soft-looking exterior, Buu packed a surprising amount of strength. Vegeta was knocked to the ground. Before he had a chance to move, Buu was on him, punching and kicking all over. Vegeta rolled out of the way. He stood to his feet and lunged. He threw everything he had into attacking, hitting with all his strength, kicking as hard as he could. His hits were connecting, too, but somehow, they didn’t seem to phase Buu much.

Buu struck back, knocking Vegeta into the wall hard enough to leave a dent. When Vegeta pulled himself up again, Buu was laughing. Vegeta shook his head.

“I really can’t beat you, can I?” He said. He reached into his pocket. “Kakarot, I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I’ll do what I have to to protect my family,” Buu cocked his head at this. Vegeta took the explosive from his pocket. “Even if it means you and I go down together!”

“Not much time for what? What’s going on?” Bulma asked, wiping tears from her face. Shin had stepped over to Goku and shook him gently.

“Goku? Can you stand?” He said softly.

“Shin, what are you doing? He’s dead.” Whis said. Then, Goku stirred and sat up.

Whis and Bulma both screamed and stumbled back.

“Wh-what’s going on?” Whis cried.

“We have to move, now,” Shin said. “I can explain in a moment.”

“Beerus?” Whis said, looking around frantically for an explanation. Beerus was still uncharacteristically despondent, looking to the ground.

“Let’s get across the road, now.” He said in a soft voice.

They moved across the road, behind the building across from the office building. Goku rubbed his head.

“What’s going on? Last thing I remember, there was a gunshot, and Vegeta agreed to stop fighting. I guess he must’ve knocked me out.” He said.

“You said he was dead! Beerus, you carried him down, someone tell me what the hell is going on!” Whis demanded. Beerus just shook his head.

“When I went to check on Goku, I found he was very much alive, only unconscious. The safe in Beerus’ office had been emptied. From this, I determined that Vegeta had a plan to stop Buu. I knew that it was imperative that we played along. I’m sorry, Whis, if there was an opportunity to explain it to you sooner, I’d have taken it.” Shin said. Whis’ eyes were wide with horror.

“The safe? Vegeta has the bomb?” He cried.

“What?” Goku yelled. “What do you mean? He’s gonna blow himself up to save us?”

“It was all a farce,” Beerus said. His tone was more grave than any of them had ever heard. “He faked betraying us to get close to Buu. And now he’s going to sacrifice himself to save us from him.” Bulma slowly sat down on the pavement, pale and shaking. Goku shook his head.

“No, no! We can’t let him do this! There has to be another way!”

Vegeta held the explosive up high.

“This is for them, for the people who have cared for me, my friends,” he said. “And this is for Kakarot.”

BOOM!

“NOOOO!” Goku screamed. He tried to run back to the building, but it was encased in a cloud of dust and rubble. He fell to his knees. “VEGETA!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not expect to be able to get this out so fast. 😂 I hope you are all enjoying! I have a lot more fun writing these balls-to-the-wall types of chapters and scenes. Hopefully they are as fun to read as they are to write.


	10. Don’t Leave Me This Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CW: (PLEASE NOTE RATING HAS BEEN CHANGED FROM MATURE TO EXPLICIT DUE TO CONTENT IN THIS CHAPTER) Implied major character death, guns, violence, murder, minor character death, drugs, gore, injuries, oral sex, masturbation, internalized homophobia/period-typical internalized homophobia, please let me know if you need anything else tagged
> 
> Vegeta sacrificed himself to save everyone. But was it worth it? Will anything be left when the dust settles and the rubble is cleared? The family will have to find a way to pull through, with or without him. Goku will have to find a way.

It was as if the Earth had dropped out from underneath him. Goku sat on the ground, staring at what used to be the building that contained the Destroyer Industries headquarters. He could hear Whis and Bulma crying, but it didn’t seem real. None of it seemed real.

Vegeta was dead.

He had stopped Buu, but now he was gone.

Goku felt sick. His chest was tightening. Pain seemed to resonate through his entire body.

There was movement in the dust. He sat up slightly, hopeful.

From dust, Buu emerged. He shook debris from his shirt. He didn’t seem injured at all.

Babidi began laughing.

“Ha! Did you all really think it would be that easy? Buu has been trained in how to survive in all sorts of situations! He can survive being shot, stabbed, blown up, dropped out of an airplane! You can’t kill him!” He cackled.

Goku was frozen on the ground, staring at the wreckage, where Vegeta used to be. Everything seemed to go dark around him. The pain in his chest was the only thing that told him anything that was happening was real. Suddenly, there was a hand on his shoulder.

“Come on, Goku, we have to go.” And he was pulled up and dragged away.

They went to a safe house, one of Beerus’ hidden properties. It was a small house, unassuming, in the suburbs. Whis lay on a couch to rest. Beerus sat by a window, looking outside as rain started to pour. Bulma leaned against the table, silently wiping away her tears as they fell, Shin sat beside her. Goku stood in the middle of the room, staring at the door. No one spoke for a long time. The only thing that broke the silence was the sound of rain, thunder, and the occasional sound of gunshots from differing directions. More of Beerus’ men being killed by Buu.

After a while, Whis stood up off the couch. He approached Beerus and put his hands on his shoulders.

“You need to rest, too, my love.” he said softly. Beerus nodded slowly.

“We need a plan,” He said as Whis helped him over to the couch. He groaned as he sat down. Whis sat beside him and lay against his chest. “Bulma, I’m sorry you were caught up in this.”

“It’s okay,” she said. Her voice was raw and broken. “I always knew it was a risk.”

“I don’t know who is left. I don’t know who can get us out of here. If he gets to Shelly—“ He was cut off as he growled in pain, he put a hand to his stomach. “Damn, caught up in all this shit and no painkillers.”

“I’ll go.” Goku said suddenly.

“What? Goku, you can’t, you’ll be killed!” Shin said. Goku looked down.

“Vegeta was willing to die to save all of us. Why should I be any different?” He said.

“I don’t want to lose anymore friends today.” Beerus said severely.

“You’re losing friends every second we sit here. I’ll try to come back alive, but I can’t promise anything. Not with the way things are going,” he turned to face him. “I’ll find a way. Even if I can’t beat him, maybe I can get him to let you guys go. Something about him, I almost feel like Buu doesn’t want anything to do with this. Like he has to do it.”

“Goku,” Whis tried to sit upright. “Be careful.”

“Don’t worry, I will. You guys get some rest. And stay safe, this storm is looking like it could get nasty.” He said.

The rain was almost blinding by the time Goku was on the road. He tracked the direction he last heard gunshots and asked around. Eventually, he found Buu in a car, on his way to his next target. Babidi was driving him, looking worse for the wear. Goku pulled in front of them and got out of the car, standing in the road. Babidi slammed on the breaks. When Buu poked his head out the window, he grinned broadly.

“Buu play! Buu play!” He squealed as he climbed out of the car.

“Buu—gh—we are in the middle of something!” Babidi cried. He was holding one hand over where he had been shot. Apparently they hadn’t even tried to patch him up yet. As if they were in too much of a hurry.

“Hey there, Buu.”

“You were dead!” Buu said. Goku almost smiled.

“I was just pretending.” He said.

“Oooohhhh, now you play with Buu!”

“Dammit, Buu, we don’t have time for this! Just kill him so we can keep moving.” Babidi barked. Goku aimed his gun at Buu.

“I don’t want to have to do this, Buu. But you’ve hurt my friends. Vegeta died trying to save us from you. You’ve put too many people I care about in danger. Now you need to be stopped.” He said. Buu took out his own gun and pointed it at Goku. It was a different gun than the one he had before, an extra he must have been able to get his hands on since his other one was destroyed in the explosion.

“You want to kill Buu?”

“I have to.”

“HYAH!” Buu threw his gun. Goku barely managed to duck out of the way so it didn’t hit him in the head.

“What are you doing?” Babidi shrieked. Buu tackled Goku down, wrestling the gun from his hands and throwing it away. He began to throw punches, one right after another. Somehow, after the pain of losing Vegeta, Goku barely felt them. He pushed back, hitting Buu in the gut and knocking him back. He tried to get up but Buu pushed him into his car and began to slam his face against the hood. Goku fell to the ground.

“Pow, pow, pow, pow!” Buu boasted happily. Goku trembled as he forced himself upright. He smiled.

“You really like fighting, don’t you?” He asked. Buu nodded, beaming. “Hey, I have an idea. See, I like fighting, too. But right now, I need some time to heal.”

“Heal?” Buu echoed.

“Yeah, I’ve had kind of a rough day, getting beat up and all that. If you give me, let’s do two days, I can come back and give you a real fight.”

“A real fight? A really real fight?”

“Yeah, Buu. A really real fight. But, listen, for those two days, you can’t hurt anyone else. No more shooting people or fighting people or hurting or killing anybody. Do you understand?” Goku said. Buu thought for a moment.

“No hurting?”

“That’s right, you’ll need to save your energy so we can have a real fight. So you can’t hurt anyone for any reason, even if they make you really mad. Can you promise?” He asked. Buu looked like he was thinking very hard about this.

“Ooo-kay!” He nodded.

“What? Buu, you idiot! You can’t go through with this ridiculous charade! We are the ones in charge! I command you to kill him right now, then get back in this car and kill everyone else I tell you to!” Babidi screamed. Buu turned to look at him. “You insolent brat! Do as I say this instant! I’m tired of your absurd demands and distractions, this is not what you were trained for! Kill him! Now!” Buu’s face scrunched. He stomped over to the car. Babidi paled as he realized what was happening. He tried to scramble away but he was too slow. Buu dragged him out of the car and threw him on the ground. Babidi tried to crawl away but his injury was too much. Buu picked his gun up off the ground and aimed it at Babidi. “Buu! You can’t do this! Not after everything—I am your teacher! Your mentor! You can’t kill me!”

BANG!

The bullet whizzed through Babidi’s head, and he slumped on the ground, dead. Buu turned back to Goku and smiled.

“Okie-dokie, no more hurting start now!” He said. Goku forced a smile in return.

“Okay, great. Thanks Buu. I’ll see you in two days!” He said.

Goku didn’t go straight back to the safe house. Instead, he started back to the office building.

Buu was soaking wet by time he got back to the hotel. He didn’t know how to drive so he walked. He went up to his suite and started to wring out his clothes.

“You failed?” He turned to see the shadowy figure outside the bathroom door, then turned back.

“Go away.” He said.

“Up to me, then?”

“No!” Buu cried, turning to face him.

“No?”

“You stay. Buu wait two days, and then Buu fight! You stay!”

The figure shrugged. He looked rather like Buu, but he was smaller, muscular, and his face held no joy.

“You’re a fool, brother.”

Goku didn’t really know what he was doing. It was dark, he didn’t have a flashlight. He didn’t have a plan. But he climbed into the rubble and asbestos, rain pouring violently down, making a deafening sound. Thunder clapped and occasional flashes of lightning were his only light as he dug and climbed.

Vegeta was dead. He was sure that was true. Almost sure.

But Buu survived, which meant it was possible to survive. That possibility, no matter how slim, had been haunting him.

Goku’s body was still sore from fighting all day. He was exhausted. He knew he should be at the safe house, trying to get some sleep and make a plan, but he couldn’t let it go. He dug through the rubble for hours, he was shivering from the rain, his body was ready to give in.

Then he saw a hand in the brief flash of lightning.

He swallowed hard, and silently prayed that the hand was attached to the rest of Vegeta. He pulled off chunks of wall and ceiling, bricks and furniture parts, until he felt the softer texture of Vegeta’s torn clothes. He felt his way up and touched his face.

It was warm.

“Vegeta? Vegeta!” He cried. He barely heard the reply over the rain and thunder.

“Ka...karot...”

Goku almost wanted cry. He was alive. Barely, but alive. But Goku knew he needed help, and he couldn’t be sure the hospital was safe if Buu didn’t keep his word. The safe house didn’t have anything in the way of medical care. He needed a new plan.

“Hang on, Vegeta,” he said.

When Vegeta woke again, he was warm. He tried to look around but his whole body screamed with pain. He didn’t know where he was, other than that it was a bedroom. He was tucked in. After a time, the door opened.

“Oh thank god,” Goku said as he sat on the bed beside him.

“What’s... going...” Vegeta tried to speak.

“Shh, try not to talk,” Goku held up a pill. “It’s Percodan. It will help with the pain,” He put the pill against Vegeta’s lips. Vegeta opened his mouth and let Goku drop the pill in. He lifted some water and Vegeta drank it down. “You survived the explosion. I honestly don’t know how, though. I’m not a doctor so I don’t really know what’s going on. You’ve got a lot of cuts and bruises, and you’re pretty burnt. You have a fever, too, I think. But that’s pretty normal.”

“Buu, is he...” Vegeta wheezed. Goku looked down.

“I’m sorry, Vegeta. Buu lived,” He said. Vegeta closed his eyes for a moment. Everything he did was all for nothing. “Listen, everyone was able to get away safely thanks to you. They’re at a safe house right now. Everyone is okay.” Vegeta looked up at him.

“Beerus...he’s...”

“He’s fine.”

“Gonna...be...pissed...” Vegeta finished.

“No, he’s not. He was really upset thinking you were dead. I wish I had a way to call him and tell him you’re okay.”

“What...about...Whis...”

“He’s fine. He’s not happy about being shot, but he’s not in bad shape. Everyone is okay.” Goku said. Vegeta looked around with his eyes.

“Where...are...we...”

“We’re at Whis’ right now. Buu already came through here, the place is totally ransacked. I tried to pick up a bit but Whis is definitely gonna be mad when he comes home,” he chuckled. “I had Beerus’ keys so I could use the car, and I needed to get you somewhere warm and with medicine and stuff. Whis’ place was the closest I knew of, and I don’t think Buu will be coming back,” Vegeta nodded slightly.  
“Listen, I talked with Buu. He agreed not to hurt anyone else until tomorrow. Then he and I have to go fight.”

Vegeta wanted to berate him for actually taking the word of his enemies, but he didn’t have the energy. Instead, he decided to ask about something that had been weighing on his mind since he woke.

“Kakarot...why am I...naked?”

“Ohh,” Goku laughed nervously. “Sorry, Vegeta, I had to take your clothes off so I could clean and bandage your injuries. Your clothes are pretty torn up, too. I was going to see if Whis has anything here that will fit you.”

“Mm,” Vegeta mumbled.

He was in and out for hours. He had bizarre fever dreams, and then he’d wake up, and Goku would be there to give him another pill, or to give him something to eat or drink, or to change his bandages. Vegeta would pretend to sleep through his wounds being cleaned and his bandages being changed. It seemed to help him focus on not getting excited at the feeling of Goku’s hands on his body, seeing him naked.

Eventually, he woke and actually felt awake. His blankets were covered in sweat but he no longer felt hot or cold. His fever had apparently broken. He found some clothes folded at the foot of his bed. Some were his, some apparently were found in Whis’ closet. Thankfully they weren’t quite so boldly patterned or colored as most of Whis’ wardrobe. He painstakingly got dressed. His body still hurt all over, but he was at least able to move and keep himself awake.

He made his way out to the living room. Goku hadn’t been exaggerating, Whis place was a mess. Cabinet doors had been ripped off curtains torn down, drawers dumped onto the floor, although it looked as if Goku had picked up most things and piled them on the counter, not knowing where they were supposed to go. Goku was sitting on the couch, reading the paper. He looked up in surprise when he saw Vegeta wander in.

“Hey, Vegeta,” he jumped up. “You must be feeling better.”

“Yeah. It’s a couple of broken ribs. I’ve had worse,” He muttered. “Has there been any word?”

“No, and I haven’t gone back to see them again, yet. I was worried about leaving you here alone. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if you were going to make it.” Goku said. His voice shook slightly as he said it. Vegeta looked to the floor.

“Kakarot,” he said. His heart felt heavy. “I’m...sorry. For everything. For attacking you. I was faking the betrayal, but...when it came time to fight you, these things—all these stupid feelings came up and I just...lost it.”

“It’s okay, Vegeta. You have been dealing with a lot. I’m sorry if I pushed you.”

“You didn’t,” Vegeta said. Goku had pushed him, but not on purpose. Vegeta knew it was really his own fault for not dealing with things rather than just pushing down and blocking out any emotions that made him uncomfortable or scared. He was acting like a child. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“I’m okay,” Goku said. He smiled at Vegeta. “I’m really glad you’re okay, too. And that you don’t really hate me.” They stood for a moment, perhaps a little too close, as if waiting for one of them to move.

“We need to make a plan.” Vegeta said finally.

“Huh? Shouldn’t we go back to Beerus and everyone?”

“We should try to make a plan first. No sense putting ourselves at risk going back there if we don’t know what the next step is. We could end up just showing Buu where the safe house is.”

“But Buu promised he wasn’t going to hurt anyone.” Goku said.

“That’s not a risk I’m willing to take.” Vegeta said. He sat on the couch. Goku sat beside him, very close.

“Okay, fair. But honestly, I don’t really have a plan.”

“I figured as much. You were just going to go and fight him to the death? What if you lost?”

“I’d buy time for everyone else to get out.” Goku shrugged.

“Hmph, I know I made sacrificing yourself seem really fun, but it turns out it doesn’t really accomplish much.” Vegeta said.

“Yeah, but what else can I do? I mean, Buu is super strong. And Babidi said he was trained to survive in all sorts of situations. He could survive being blown up without a scratch. How can we beat him? How can we possibly win?”

Vegeta was silent for a while.

“Even if we both take him on together, and give him everything we’ve got, we probably can’t win.” He said.

“Yeah,” Goku laughed a little. “We’re gonna die.” Vegeta frowned. He grabbed Goku’s hand.

“Don’t laugh about that!” He said. Goku looked down at where their hands were intwined.

“Sorry, I don’t know what else to do,” he said. He squeezed Vegeta’s hand. “I don’t want it to come down to this. But if I have to die, then I’ll be glad to die next to you, Vegeta.”

Vegeta swallowed hard. He stared at Goku, looking into his eyes. He felt his heart racing.

“Yes, I think so too,” he said. A thought occurred to him them. The kind of thought he would usually squash down. But since it was a mere hours before his death, he decided he had nothing to lose. “Well Kakarot, since we’re going to die,” he tried to sound confident although he could feel himself sweating. “What would you say to a blow job before we go?”

Goku stared blankly for a long time. Vegeta felt his heart in his throat. He started to feel the panic rising. He was about to backpedal frantically when Goku finally spoke.

“What’s that?” He said.

“Huh?”

“A blow job? What is that?”

Now it was Vegeta’s turn to stare blankly. Goku didn’t seem like he was joking at all. Vegeta was waiting for a smirk or a twinkle in his eye, but nothing.

“You...you don’t know what a blow job is?” He asked slowly. Goku shook his head.

“Nope,” he said. Vegeta’s jaw dropped. Could this mean...

“Kakarot, are you a virgin?” He blurted. Goku’s face went a little red.

“What? No,” he laughed. Vegeta raised his eyebrows, wordlessly accusing him of lying. Goku put his hands up. “Well, I mean, I’ve only done it once, and it was a long time ago,” he said. “This girl I knew back when I was 18. I haven’t done it since then.” Vegeta was in shock.

“Why haven’t you done it again?”

“I don’t know. It was just never that much of a priority I guess. You know, I was always on the run, and it’s kinda hard to meet girls when you have to up and move so often.” He shrugged. Vegeta was stunned. And somehow, his desire to do this seemed to grow exponentially.

“A blow job is when someone puts your dick in their mouth and makes you feel good.” He said. Goku’s eyes went wide.

“Oh, and you want to do that to me?”

“If you want.”

Goku thought for a moment.

“Have you ever done it before?” He asked. Vegeta blanched.

“W-well, no, of course not,” he said. “But I’ve had it done to me.”

“Ohh,” Goku nodded. Then, he shrugged. “Okay, sure. If you want to then we can do that.” He said.

Vegeta felt his heart leap.

This was really happening. He didn’t know how Goku would react to his proposal, but now that he had said yes, he was nervous and excited.

“Get comfortable.” He said. He slid down onto the floor between Goku’s legs. Goku was watching with interest. Vegeta unbuttoned his pants and took his length out. Goku giggled a little and Vegeta looked up at him.

“Sorry, I’m a little ticklish.” He said.

“Get it together, Kakarot,” Vegeta mumbled. He took a look at Goku’s shaft in his hand. It was still soft, so it didn’t look especially impressive. Vegeta was a little uncertain where to start. He figured the best way would be to just do what he had enjoyed when done to him in the past. So, tentatively, he leaned in and rolled his tongue along it. He heard Goku let out a soft gasp. He hoped that was a good sign. He repeated the motion, tracing his tongue over it, and was pleasantly surprised to feel it changing shape in his hand. It grew, and was getting hard. Very hard. Goku was panting as it did. This gave Vegeta a bit of a confidence boost.

Once Goku was fully erect, Vegeta decided to explore a little more. He kissed along the shaft, licking and moving his lips. He could hear Goku whimpering softly and feel how he wriggled a little beneath him.

For his part, Vegeta didn’t expect to enjoy himself so much. In fact, he didn’t expect to enjoy this at all. He had always imagined that giving a blow job felt a bit demeaning, or at least not very exciting. But he couldn’t remember ever being so turned on. It didn’t taste weird and Goku wasn’t forceful at all, he seemed perfectly content to sit back and let Vegeta do whatever he wanted. Somehow, it made Vegeta feel sort of powerful. Like he had control over Goku, control over his pleasure. He could get used to that feeling.

He sat back and rolled his tongue over the head. Goku whimpered, his hips twitching. Vegeta put the tip into his mouth and sucked gently. He glanced up at Goku and was thrilled to see his expression, his face was bright red and he looked like he was drowning in pleasure.

“V-Vegeta...” he gasped. Goku writhed against the couch. Vegeta groaned softly. His own erection was beginning to push insistently against his pants. He groped at it, not really sure what to do about it. He took Goku in deeper. When he was hard, Goku was actually pretty big. Vegeta couldn’t fit very much in before he felt like he was going to choke, and he didn’t want to embarrass himself that way. So he just did as much as he could, gripping the base with his hand and swirling his tongue over everything it could reach. Goku leaned back against the couch, clapping a hand over his mouth. “Mm...”

Vegeta pulled back.

“Fuck,” he mumbled. He unzipped his own pants and started to stroke himself before he took Goku back into his mouth again. He slid up and down, paying special attention to the head. Goku’s hips were grinding and he was becoming even more vocal. He put a trembling hand on Vegeta’s head. Not pushing or grabbing his hair, not commanding, more like a gentle stroke of his hair, an affectionate gesture.

Vegeta didn’t know how much more he could take. He sucked harder, moving faster, getting sloppy in the process but kind of enjoying it. Goku was groaning and his body was moving. He didn’t seem to care how he sounded, letting loud, whimpering cries out.

“Ve-Vegeta—I—ohh, god...” he cried. Vegeta felt his own body was pushed to the brink. The pressure building within him was ready to release. He could feel Goku’s cock twitching in his mouth, and how his hips thrusting was becoming more jagged and irregular. Goku clutched the couch and keened.

Vegeta felt the hot liquid pouring into his mouth. He pulled back in surprise, only for more to shoot over his face. Another aspect he thought he’d hate, but just the thought of knowing he’d brought Goku to the point of ecstasy was enough to send Vegeta over the edge himself. He shuddered hard and groaned lowly as he finished into his hand. When he was done, he was panting and exhausted, but strangely satisfied. He spat Goku’s come out into his hand. It didn’t taste that bad, or at least not as bad as he had expected, but it wasn’t exactly pleasant either.

“Oh, man, sorry, Vegeta,” Goku said. “Hang on,” he left and came back with tissues. He wiped Vegeta’s face enough that he could open his eyes. “Sorry about that. It kind of happened really suddenly.” He said, his face flushing.

“A little warning would have been nice,” Vegeta grumbled, though there was a part of him that couldn’t help but be fairly turned on by the experience.

Vegeta washed himself up in the bathroom. He was in a bit of a surreal fugue. He thought he should have felt more ashamed of what he had done. It was wrong and unnatural for two men to do such a thing. It was dirty and demeaning and shameful. Yet it wasn’t really bothering him. It actually had felt natural. Two people making each other feel good, not really all that different from his experiences with women. It was as though many of his questions had been answered, but many more had been raised. He was almost grateful he’d never have the chance to figure things out.

When he stepped back out into the living room, Goku was beaming. He smiled when he saw Vegeta.

“Let’s go.” Vegeta said.

They held hands on the drive. Although they knew they were on their way to their deaths, they both felt at peace now. It seemed like there was nothing else that needed to be said. They both knew how the other felt.

When they arrived to the safe house, however, the air of calm dropped. The door was splintered from having been kicked in.

They rushed inside to find a gruesome scene. Beerus, Whis, and Bulma all laying on different surfaces, haphazardly bandaged, and unconscious. Shin was okay, physically, but he looked very shaken.

“What happened?” Vegeta demanded.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I couldn’t stop him. I wanted to protect them. He was too strong, he knocked me out and when I came to they had all been shot. I-I tried, I don’t know if they’re going to make it.” Shin stammered.

“Was it Buu?” Goku asked. Shin shook his head.

“N-no. I don’t know who he was. He looked a little like Buu but it wasn’t him.”

Vegeta and Goku exchanged looks.

“Shin, we’re going to find him. Get everyone to the hospital. If the staff call the cops, don’t tell them anything. We’ll figure the rest out later but for now we need them alive,” Vegeta said. “And thank you. You’ve done your best.”

Neither Goku nor Vegeta spoke again as they climbed back into the car. Their mission was clear: they would have to kill Buu or die trying. And if they did survive, they would have to kill this mysterious new enemy, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so so sorry for the long delay in getting this chapter out! I apologize, I really didn’t mean to leave you all on such a terrible cliffhanger for so long! I hope this chapter makes up for the wait! 🙇


	11. Don’t Give Up On Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CW: Implied major character death, guns, violence, murder, gore, injuries, vomit, car accident, please let me know if you need anything else tagged
> 
> Things have taken a turn for the worst. There’s a new enemy, one even worse than Buu. Goku and Vegeta have to take them both down. Their family may all be dead, and they’re not in great shape either. At least it’s a great day to go to the beach.

“Buu told you stay! Buu told you no killing!” Buu shrieked, stomping his feet.

“Play games in your own time. We came here for business, not fun.” The other figure said.

“Hate you! Buu hate you! You ruin all Buu’s fun!”

“And you are an impetuous child! Always getting in the way of our plans. You sicken me.” He snarled.

Buu stomped more and let out a scream of frustration.

“No more Babidi! No one say Buu can’t kill you now!” He screamed. He drew his gun and aimed it at his brother’s head.

“So, you’ll kill your own brother? That works for me, I never liked you, anyway.”

Goku and Vegeta stood, side-by-side, in utter bafflement at what they were witnessing.

Not one Buu, but two. The large, childlike one they had already encountered, and a skinny, pale, angry-looking one. His eyes were dark and he looked so strangely gaunt.

They thought they weren’t going to survive a fight against one Buu. But two?

“What now?” Vegeta asked.

“Hang on,” Goku said. “That new Buu, he seems different. I’m starting to think he was the mastermind behind this whole operation.”

“How does that help us now?”

“I’m thinking if our Buu can beat this new Buu, then maybe we won’t need to fight at all. Maybe we can just convince him to leave.”

“Optimistic as always,” Vegeta grumbled. “But if the new Buu kills the fat one, at least we’ll only have to take on one of them.”

The skinnier Buu had knocked the gun out of the first Buu’s hand and they were grappling at each other. It seemed that the larger Buu should have had the advantage, but this smaller Buu was having no trouble holding his own. He punched the larger Buu back, knocking him to the ground.

He let out a scream of frustration before he leapt back up. He dove at the skinnier Buu, knocking him to the ground. He wrapped his pudgy hands around his doppelgänger’s scrawny neck and began to strangle him. The skinny Buu kicked him in the gut, pushing him away.

Before the fat Buu could stand again, the thin Buu had his gun drawn.

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

The fat Buu fell. This time, he stayed down.

“No!” Goku gasped.

“Damn. So much for that plan. Now what?” Vegeta said.

The thin Buu turned his attention to the both of them, where they stood on the boardwalk. He approached them coolly.

“Which one of you is Goku?” He asked.

“I am.”

“You’re the one who made that ridiculous deal with my brother, then? No killing and then we can play?”

“Yes. That was me.”

“Hm. You’re a child. Just like he was. I don’t share in my brother’s naïveté. I have no tolerance for it. I am not here for games. I am here to get what I want.”

“Your brother? Then what do we call you?” Vegeta asked.

The thin Buu gave him a dirty look, as if Vegeta should have been ashamed of himself for speaking to him.

“Kid.”

“You tried to kill Beerus? And Whis, and Bulma—everyone!” Goku growled.

“You could say that. I didn’t bother to check pulses. But at least they’re out of the way.”

“You bastard,” Vegeta growled.

“I left Shin alive. Do you know why? Because as he stands alone amongst the corpses of his friends, amongst the ruins of what was once Miami, I want him to know that this is all his fault. You two will be next.”

“It is not his fault!” Goku cried. “You’re the one killing people! Destroying everything! He was trying to save us! This is your fault, everything that’s happened here. Even your brother could see that what you were doing was wrong on some level. You’re a cold-blooded murderer and it ends here. Leave Miami forever or die today!”

Vegeta had his hand on his gun. Kid just smirked.

“You can’t win. Surely you realize that by now?”

Goku looked to Vegeta and nodded. Vegeta nodded back. They didn’t need to say it out loud, but they both understood: either Kid died today, or they did.

They jumped down from the boardwalk and dove at him. Goku swung a knee into his gut as Vegeta struck blows at him. With surprising ease, Kid grabbed each of them by the scruff of their shirts and smashed their heads together before throwing them aside. Vegeta felt Goku’s hand pulling him up again and they charged together. Vegeta caught his elbow to the side of Kid’s head and knocked him back. Kid hit him in the face and kicked him back. He landed painfully against the sand.

Painfully?

He felt his hip and realized his gun was still on him. He pulled it from its holster. He couldn’t mess this up. Buu could somehow survive gunshots and even explosions. If he wasted his bullets with Kid, it could be their death nail.

He aimed carefully. Kid was too busy with Goku to notice. Vegeta had time—but not much—to wait for the perfect opening. With a violent hit, Goku was knocked back.

Perfect.

BANG!

“Ahh!” Kid fell, clutching his leg. He was bleeding from the back of his knee where he’d been shot. He panted as he regained himself from shock. “Clever. You know you can’t kill me with a bullet so you thought you’d disable me. Was that your plan?” He asked between shaking breaths. Then, his smarmy grin returned as he slowly pushed himself to standing.

“No way,” Vegeta grumbled.

“You’ll have to do better than that.”

Goku was back on his feet. He sent a small nod to Vegeta, as if to assure him it was okay. It wasn’t. But Vegeta returned the nod anyway as he stood.

“Alright,” He said. They both charged at him again. They quickly fell into a scrap, fists flying, blows landing, Vegeta would be momentarily blinded by stars as he was stuck by impossibly hard punches but he kept swinging regardless.

Kid choked after Goku got him in the throat. Seeing the opportunity, they both directed their frantic attacks at his throat and head. He ducked and dodged back as he coughed. Vegeta and Goku both lunged toward him again. This time, he ducked down, flipping Goku over to one side and then whipping around and grabbing at Vegeta instead. Vegeta tried to dodge, but realized a moment too late that he wasn’t trying to get _him_.

He stood, aiming Vegeta’s gun toward them. Goku ducked down at him and threw himself at Kid’s injured knee. Kid fell, screaming, and Vegeta snatched the gun back while he was distracted. He aimed at Kid’s head, but Kid was already clamoring back to his feet. He shoved Goku at Vegeta to block the gun’s path.

Vegeta nearly fell over as Goku barreled into him. They steadied each other upright, then turned and tackled Kid back down. Kid began grappling at Vegeta’s gun, Goku climbed over him and wrapped his hands around his throat.

“Just stay down. You can’t win.” He growled. Kid wriggled himself enough to kick Goku away. He rolled over, coughing and panting. Vegeta aimed his gun and was cocking it when he whipped around and hit him in the elbow. The gun flew from his hand.

“Dammit!” Vegeta growled. He tried to turn to go after it but Kid grabbed his legs and tripped him to the ground. He felt Kid climbing on top of him, shoving his face into the sand, putting weight on the back of his neck so he couldn’t get up, he couldn’t breathe.

With a jolt he felt the force of Goku pulling Kid off of him. Vegeta gagged and choked, spitting out the sand that had gotten in his mouth as he struggled to catch his breath.

“Vegeta, are you okay?” He heard Goku cry.

“Gun—get—the gun—“ he coughed.

“Right,” Goku bolted after the gun. Kid clambered up to chase after him, but Vegeta launched himself at him, still choking on sand in his throat. He grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and started punching him in the gut as hard as he could. “Vegeta!” Vegeta shoved Kid back and got out of Goku’s way. Goku had the gun trained on him. Kid grinned and spread his arms.

“Come on, then! Shoot!” He yelled. “I’m sick of waiting, you know you can’t kill me with some puny bullets! So shoot me! Come on! Damn you! You don’t know what I’m capable of!” Kid was roaring now.

BAM!

Kid fell back, clutching his shoulder where he’d been shot. He cursed and growled, then began laughing. Vegeta took a step back.

“Is that the best you can do? My shoulder? That won’t even slow me down! Come on, you idiots, shoot me like you mean it!”

“Kakarot!” Vegeta cried exasperatedly.

“Sorry,” Goku said. He aimed again and pulled the trigger.

BANG!

Kid fell to the ground, screaming, clutching his chest. He laughed as he screamed in a bizarre, manic display. He tremulously pushed himself up to sitting.

“I told you, you cannot kill me!” He said.

“Crap,” Goku said. “Now what?”

“He’s putting on a show. He’s definitely weakened now.” Vegeta said.

“So, we jump back in? Try to hit him where it hurts and see if we can’t knock him out?”

“Yeah. I think we may have a shot here.”

They nodded to each other, then charged again. Vegeta wasted no time, jabbing a finger into one of Kid’s bullet wounds. Kid screamed, then grabbed him by the neck. They fell to the ground and Kid put all his weight onto Vegeta, trying to strangle him. Goku managed to pull him off, but Kid quickly whipped around and threw him down on top of Vegeta. He grabbed Goku by the hair and began bashing his head into Vegeta’s over and over.

At first Vegeta saw stars.

Then he saw nothing at all.

He came to, he wasn’t sure how much later, but it couldn’t have been long at all if he was still alive. There was a strange sound in the distance. Whining? Screaming?

An engine?

He opened his eyes and looked around. A car was driving down the beach. Or maybe he hit his head so hard he was hallucinating. He scanned his surroundings, his vision blurred. Kid was standing a couple feet away, Vegeta’s gun trained on them.

The car was getting louder. Kid didn’t seem to notice. Vegeta was certain it wasn’t real. Was time passing? His head hurt and he felt sick. Goku was still unconscious next to him.

The car rammed into Kid, sending him flying into the ocean. It slammed its brakes so hard that it fishtailed and buried into the sand.

Not a hallucination.

Vegeta shook Goku.

“Kakarot! Kakarot, get up!” He said.

Goku slowly came to, rubbing his head and moaning.

“What? Oww...” he muttered. Vegeta looked up again. Kid was on his hands and knees in the shallow water, vomiting violently. Out of the car stepped Shin.

“Vegeta! Goku!” He cried. He helped them stand. “Thank God you’re alright, when I saw you two on the ground I thought for sure—“

“Shin, what are you doing here?” Vegeta demanded. He looked behind Shin and saw Beerus, Whis, and Bulma climbing out of the car as well. “What are they doing here?”

“We came up with a different plan. We’re here to help.”

“Kid shot them!”

“Bulma helped me get everyone patched up. We want to put a stop to this for good.” Shin said.

Kid began screaming.

BAM! BAM! BAM! Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click.

Everyone ducked and scrambled to get behind the car. Kid continued to fired blindly at them, not seeming to realize the magazine was empty. He had lost all sense of reason, all grasp on reality. Vegeta turned to everyone else.

“We need a plan. I’ll go and hit him with everything I’ve got. I’m going to knock him out. Once I do, you all come out and start shooting. Aim for the head. Unload everything you’ve got. It’s not exactly honorable, but we’re past that point. We need him dead. You guys stay back here. You’re injured, better you stay out of the way.”

“Weren’t you blown up?” Whis asked.

“That was two days ago, Whis,” Vegeta said as if this was a totally absurd thing to bring up.

“I’ll go.” Goku said.

“Kakarot, no,” Vegeta said.

“You’ve done enough, Vegeta. Besides, if anything happens to me, you can tag in, right?” He said, grinning.

Vegeta sighed, but knew he had no room to argue.

“Listen to me, any of you die, and you’re fired. Am I understood?” Beerus said.

“Yes sir.” Goku said.

He started out toward Kid.

“Be careful,” Bulma cried. Her voice sounded hoarse, as if she had done too much crying lately.

Kid was still screaming, laughing, and occasionally firing blanks into the air. Goku stepped toward him. Kid aimed the gun at him.

“Bang! Bang! You’re dead!” Kid shrieked. His voice sounded strained and unnatural.

Goku grabbed the gun from him and hit him in the head with it. Kid swung back, hitting him hard. They tumbled to the ground, landing in the saltwater as the tide came in. Goku’s clothes got soaked as they wrestled, he choked on the water that went up his nose.

This seemed to give Kid an idea. He grabbed Goku by the shirt and shoved him so he was facedown in the water, choking and flailing as he struggled to breathe.

“Fuck,” Vegeta hissed. “I’m going in.” He said. He didn’t wait for a response as he ran toward them. He leapt at Kid, tackling him down off of Goku. He scrambled over to help Goku up but was hit in the back of the head by Kid. He stumbled down, the pain ringing in his ears and blinding his vision from his earlier injuries. He turned and swung a punch, throwing himself into it. They were landing punches, Vegeta barely knew what he was doing, as every time he was hit, his head began to spin even more, and his body was in so much pain it was becoming impossible to ignore.

Suddenly he was on the ground. He couldn’t see, everything was a greenish blur, and Kid’s hysterical screaming sounded a million miles away. He didn’t know if he had gotten Goku out of the water in time or if he had drowned. He didn’t want to die, he didn’t want Goku to die, it was all so unfair.

“BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU—“ a shriek sounded. A pink blur flew past Vegeta and knocked Kid down.

Vegeta forced himself to sit up. He was dizzy and his head hurt worse than any migraine he had ever had. But sure enough, he could see Buu, the one they thought for sure had died, punching Kid in the face over and over, screaming all the while.

“HATE! YOU! BUU! HATE! YOU!” He screamed. He rammed his fist into him.

“You’re supposed to be dead!” Kid roared. He hit back and threw him to the ground. “Fat bastard! Despicable child! I’ve always hated you!”

Buu kicked him in his injured knee and he fell to the ground. Buu climbed on top of him and sat on his chest. Kid struggled for air, but between his injuries, the incoming tide washing over his face, and the weight of his larger brother on top of him, he couldn’t breathe. Vegeta forced himself to stand.

“Buu!” He called.

“What?” Buu yelled back.

“Hold him there! Don’t let him up and don’t move!” He said. Buu looked confused, but nodded. Vegeta turned back to where the others were hiding behind the car. “Now!”

They came charging out, all with guns drawn. They stepped into the sea water and aimed at his head.

“Get away! No! I am the strongest! I cannot be killed! I CANNOT BE KILLED!” Kid screamed.

BAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAM

Gunshots blurred into one echoing ring. Kid’s head was ripped apart by bullet after bullet, until his head was practically exploded, nothing resembling a head left at all. After every last bullet had been fired, everyone backed away.

Bulma fainted. Shin threw up.

Buu looked down at his shirt, now splattered with blood and brains.

“Ew,” he frowned. He climbed off of Kid’s corpse and began to splash himself with ocean water. Vegeta looked around and found Goku sitting up in the water, which was now around his waist.

“Kakarot!” He ran over to him and fell to his knees beside him. “Kakarot, are you alright?”

“Yeah,” Goku nodded. “I’m okay.”

Vegeta threw his arms around him. Goku hugged him back.

After a time, he pulled away.

“Shin,” he said. “Take us to the hospital.”

Shin, still green, nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize again for the delay! I had a very difficult time writing this although I’m not sure why. Anyway, I really hope you all enjoyed! This chapter is a little short but I really wanted it to be contained into one piece. If that makes sense.


	12. We Are the Champions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Against all odds, the family survived. Through all the chaos they have survived everything that was thrown at them. This chapter in their story comes to a close, and now the only question that remains is “what’s next?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: injuries, divorce, period-typical internalized homophobia, guns, let me know if you need anything else tagged

Vegeta was on bed rest for weeks. He had several broken bones, severe burns, and a pretty worrying concussion. But he healed well. For the first time in his life, he actually felt glad to not have anything to do. The time of laying around doing little else but reading books gave him room to think, to process everything that had happened. After the whirlwind that he had gone through, it was good to let himself sort things out.

A few phone calls told him that everyone was okay. No one was seriously hurt and they all were able to rest and recover. Vegeta was relieved. After everything they had gone through, the last thing they needed was for someone to come away with permanent physical damage. He talked to Goku a lot during this time. Even though they couldn’t leave the house to see each other, he felt comforted to know that Goku was there for him.

Vegeta was okayed to walk and drive again by his doctor. He was glad to be free, but not certain what to do with this newfound freedom. He got into his car and started driving. At first he was just mindlessly cruising through the streets of Miami, taking the beautiful and bizarre city in. But eventually, perhaps instinctively, he found himself driving to the office.

The city had cleaned up the rubble and debris, now all that was left in what once was the small, turquoise office building he spent so much time in was bits and pieces or foundation, surrounded by caution tape.

When he pulled up to the building, he was surprised to find Beerus sitting on a chunk of cement. He was smoking a cigar and looked a little spaced out. Vegeta approach slowly.

“Beerus?” He said. Beerus nodded.

“_Oye_.”

“Hi. Uh, what are you doing here?”

“Same as you, I’d wager.” He said. Vegeta understood. It was really like a habit, now. The office was where they went when it was time to figure out what to do next.

“I’m sorry for shooting you. When I was faking the betrayal. I wanted it to look real and I thought you could take it.” Vegeta said.

Beerus put a hand to his stomach where Vegeta had shot him, as if he just remembered it happened. He chuckled softly.

“Water under the bridge.” He said.

Vegeta sank down onto the concrete beside him.

“Are you...alright? You seem a little out of it.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Beerus took a drag from his cigar. “I filed for divorce last night.”

Vegeta’s eyes went wide.

“You’re splitting with Shelly? How’d she take it?”

“Better than I expected,” He said, though he touched his own cheek as he said it, suggesting to Vegeta she may have given him a good slap over it. “I told her everything. About me. And Whis. She’s staying with her mother up in Orlando now.”

“Damn. What did Whis say?”

“Haven’t told him yet. I needed to clear my head first, you know? It was bad news for Shell, but it’s good news for him, so I gotta be ready for that,” He shifted. “Vegeta,” his tone was different suddenly. He sat more upright and spoke more clearly, no longer staring off into space. “I’m going to be totally straight with you. You’re the closest thing to a son I’d ever want and I’m the closest thing to a father you’ve ever had. So let me give you some fatherly advice, just this once. Don’t be like me. Don’t spend your whole life running from something you actually want.”

Vegeta nodded.

“Yeah, I think I know what you mean,” He said. They were silent for a moment. “We’re going to need a new office.”

“Yeah. I’m thinking maybe I’ll get one of those really fancy new places on Brickell Key. The kind of place that doesn’t get busted into or blown up.” Beerus said. Vegeta couldn’t help but laugh a little.

“That’s probably a good plan.”

He heard someone approaching and looked up.

It was Buu.

Vegeta immediately leapt to his feet, reaching for his gun.

“Stand down, Vegeta.” Beerus said. He stood as well, but slower and calmer.

“What is he doing here?”

“I didn’t get a chance to tell you.” Beerus said.

Buu bowed his head.

“Buu sorry for making friends hurt.” He said.

“What?” Vegeta looked between the two of them.

“We’ve worked out a deal with Buu. He’s going to be helping us clean up the mess he made. In exchange, I won’t kill him.” Beerus said.

“How can we trust him?” Vegeta asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Buu needs to learn some things about how the world works. We’re going to help him. He gets some independence, we get an un-killable tank. It’s a win-win.” Beerus explained.

“Buu trained to hurt and kill really good,” Buu said with a smile. Then, his smile fell and his head bowed again. “But Buu not trained in other stuff. Buu not very good at knowing what to do. Buu not very good at not hurting. But Buu want to learn!” He smiled again, beaming with enthusiasm for the topic.

“Goku already agreed to help him. You should ask him about it when you go see him.” Beerus said with a knowing glint in his eye.

“Yeah. I think I will.”

Showing up unannounced wasn’t Vegeta’s usual style. But calling ahead felt equally wrong at a time like this. He knocked at the door of Goku’s apartment. It was a little nicer than the last one he was in, and, somewhat ironically, on the first floor.

Goku opened the door and smiled when he saw Vegeta.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey,” Vegeta said. He felt himself smiling as well. “Let’s go for a drive.”

They had no destination in mind. They held hands between shifting gears with the windows down and the warm wind blowing through their hair. The sun was setting on Miami, and the strange, neon, tropical city came alive in dazzling colors. They pulled over in an empty lot that overlooked a marina.

Goku and Vegeta sat on the hood of the car, watching the sky fade into a gradient of pinks and purples. They were silent for a time, just watching.

“Kakarot,” Vegeta finally said. Goku looked to him. “I think everything in my life has changed since I met you.”

“Yeah, sorry about that.” Goku said.

“Don’t be. Even the parts that were awful were worth it. If this craziness has taught me anything, it’s that the best way for us to survive is together. I should have seen that sooner.”

“Vegeta,” Goku took his hand and squeezed gently.

“Kakarot,” Vegeta said. He turned to face him fully. “I’m in love with you. And I want to be with you.”

Goku grinned.

“Really?” He asked softly. Vegeta nodded. He could feel his heart fluttering.

“I love you, too, Vegeta,” Goku grinned.

They kissed, tenderly but meaningfully. Goku lay his head on Vegeta’s shoulder and they gazed out at the sea.

“I heard you’re going to be helping our new friend Buu learn how to be a person.” Vegeta said. Goku giggled.

“Yeah. He kind of reminds me of me, you know? Just a confused kid who never had anyone to teach him how to do things. In his case it’s even worse. He had lots of people around, but all they ever taught him was how to kill.”

“You really think you can handle that?” Vegeta asked.

“I think so. Besides, I’ve got you and the family to help me, too.” Goku grinned.

“Yeah, you do,” Vegeta said. “Did you hear Beerus is finally leaving Shelly?”

“Really? Huh. Guess I owe Bulma $50.” Goku said.

“$50? She had me in for $200!”

They laughed, and wrapped up in each other’s arms, watching the sun disappear behind the sea.

Whis opened the door to Beerus. Beerus didn’t waste any time until wrapping his arms around him, holding him tightly. He had been acting different since everything went down. Whis held him back, hoping to silently reassure him that he really was okay. He angled Beerus’ head up to face him with a delicate touch of his hand and kissed him deeply. He started to unbutton Beerus’ shirt when Beerus grabbed his hands to stop him.

“Hang on, _cariño_,” he said. “I need to tell you something.” Whis let out a soft whine.

“Now? Can’t it wait? I’ve missed you so much, _papí_. Having to spend all this time away from you so soon after you got out of prison has been torture.” He said, stroking a hand over Beerus’ chest.

“I know,” Beerus said with a small smile. “But this is important.” Whis frowned.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing is wrong. I’m leaving Shelly.” He said. Whis smiled back, but it was a soft, sad smile.

“I know, Beerus. Someday you will.” He said, stroking Beerus’ ears.

“No,” Beerus shook his head, and to his own surprise, he laughed a little. “I filed for divorce last night. I’m really leaving her.”

Whis’ eyes went wide.

“Y-you—but—you really—“ he stammered in shock. “Beerus, are you serious?”

“Of course, _angelito_,” he said. His grin grew broader. “I told her everything. From now on, it’s you and me, and I don’t give a fuck what anyone else thinks about it.”

“Beerus...” Whis was frozen in shock for a moment. He threw his arms around Beerus and held him tight. “Are you sure about this?”

“Yeah. I really am. I thought I was going to lose you. When you were shot. All I could think was that I never kept my promise. I never got to be with you the way I really want to. That you’d die wondering if I even cared. Whis,” Beerus held his face. “You are all I want.”

Whis had tears of happiness stinging his eyes. He was beaming.

“You too, _papí_.”

Whis and Beerus saw Shin off at the airport the next day. He was shaken, but they assured him that he did the best he could. Regardless, he promised that next time he came to visit, he’d try not to bring so much chaos along with him.

Beerus chose a beautiful high rise building for their next office. It overlooked the Atlantic Ocean, and had huge, modern windows. Bulma got a fancy electronic word processor and a substantial raise. It was only fair, Beerus thought, since she helped save his life while she was also bleeding out.

Vegeta and Goku took the elevator up to the office together, hand-in-hand. Despite the fact that so much was different, it seemed that life still marched on, and there was always something more waiting for them.

“What’s next, Boss?” Vegeta asked.

(If you liked this story and want to know how to get one of your very own, check me out [here](https://chi-chi-mcroberts.tumblr.com/post/627008462566653952))

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, this story is finally done. Thank you so much to everyone who went on this crazy journey with me! I feel deeply honored that so many people have given such positive feedback on it. Vice & Virtues was the first piece of writing I’ve shared publicly in years and I really didn’t think anybody would be interested in such a weird concept. Thank you to everyone who has read it and everyone who will read it in the future! 
> 
> Oh, and don’t worry, there will be more. The family’s story isn’t over yet, only this piece of it. Look out for more to come!


End file.
